This report presents the results of the CARL Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG)’s 2017-18 survey of Canadian memory institutions on the state of digital preservation activities and needs at their organizations. The purpose of the CARL DPWG survey was to provide an updated and comprehensive picture of current digital preservation activities in Canada and to help identify existing gaps and outstanding needs at Canadian institutions.

The report summarizes the results of the 2-phase survey in several areas: scope and type of digital content collected, organizational commitment, policies and procedures, tools and applications, discovery and access, storage, and staffing and funding. The report also provides an analysis of the results in terms of gaps, strengths and weaknesses.

The appendices contain details of the comparison methodology and the complete list of survey questions, as well as more detailed responses for certain questions. It is anticipated that the findings will inform the development of strategies, policies, expertise and resource allocation and, we hope, lead to increased capacity and opportunities for collaboration and coordination in Canada around digital preservation. In addition, the survey results could serve as a baseline for measuring the progress related to digital preservation activities in Canadian memory institutions.