The Digital Preservation Handbook has long been a familiar companion to many of us working in digital preservation. It’s the kind of resource that we return to again and again—whether we’re new to the field, teaching, or trying to work through a tricky preservation challenge.

Because it’s been so well used (and so well loved), it’s also fair to say that the Handbook is due a refresh. Digital preservation practice is constantly evolving, and we’re excited to finally be getting started on work towards a third edition that reflects where the community is now and where it’s heading next. This was clearly demonstrated during the 2024 Handbook Third Edition Scoping Project, funded by the Welsh Government’s Culture Division, which was designed to ensure that community needs inform the goals and guiding principles of the forthcoming third edition.

With those goals and guiding principles in mind, DPC staff are working collaboratively to revise and write Handbook content. We kicked off with a booksprint during the week of 19–23 January, providing a shared starting point for revising and writing the new edition together.

DPC staff in Glasgow, excited and ready to go!

Laying the Groundwork: A December Mini Booksprint

Before January’s main booksprint, Amy Currie and I ran a small pilot booksprint in December. This was a chance to figure out how we wanted to approach the January booksprint, finalise author guidance, look at different sources of inspiration, and map out the agenda. It helped us think through how we could make the process both productive and enjoyable for everyone involved.

One of the things that really inspired us was The Turing Way project’s approach to community writing—especially their Book Dashes and Collaboration Cafés, a format of co-working sessions designed to support contributors working together on a shared resource.

An Agenda for Different Working Styles

With these ideas in mind, we planned an agenda for the January booksprint that aimed to accommodate a range of working styles and preferences, because we know that everyone finds their flow in different ways. We wanted the week to be as supportive and flexible as possible.

Booksprint supplies at the ready

Here’s how the week was set up:

We kicked off with a Welcome & Introduction, which we encouraged everyone to join to start the week together.

After that, people could choose to participate in online Collaboration Café sessions for shared, focused time working alongside others, or work independently if that felt more productive.

On Thursday, we held optional in-person days in York and Glasgow, which provided a different way ofworking—with space for sharing ideas, getting feedback, and more spontaneous discussion, as well as a refreshing change of scenery (and a nice lunch)!

Between scheduled sessions, time was left open for writing, planning, or just recharging—whatever worked best for each person.

We also held daily stand-up meetings to kick off the day, check in, reflect on progress, and highlight anything that needed attention.

Our usual staff coffee breaks were kept free of formal activities too, offering a chance for informal catch-ups and a bit of a break away from the Handbook itself.

Throughout the week, we kept in touch using a dedicated Slack channel, which was a hub for questions, and for sharing ideas, resources and encouragement—and where we provided daily recap messages so everyone could stay up to date on how things were progressing.

DPC staff in York get together for a day of booksprinting

What We Learned and What’s Next

We were delighted to receive really positive feedback from everyone who took part. Our colleagues told us that:

The format helped them get started with drafting and planning in a more focused way.

Having dedicated time together (and apart!) was energising and freeing from the usual day-to-day distractions.

Working side-by-side with others sparked really productive conversations that helped clarify our shared thinking about the Handbook’s purpose, its audience, and what we want this new edition to achieve.

We also found the booksprint hugely helpful as organisers. Hearing the questions, insights, and ideas from everyone taking part helped us refine our plans for the Handbook and think more clearly about how it fits alongside the rest of the DPC’s resources. It highlighted how valuable concentrated, shared time can be—giving space for discussion, clarification, and alignment while making steady progress on drafting the Handbook itself.

And we’re not stopping there! We’re planning to carry elements of this booksprint approach into our ongoing work throughout the Handbook drafting process. That means we’ll continue scheduling regular Collaboration Café sessions and check-ins to help us maintain momentum, stay aligned as a team, and keep the conversation flowing as the Handbook takes shape.

We’ll be posting updates along the way and are looking forward to sharing the completed 3rd edition with you next year — stay tuned!