Preservation of Electronic Government Information (PEGI)

Overview

The Preservation of Electronic Government Information (PEGI) Project is a collaborative initiative of librarians, technologists, and information professionals from academic and nonprofit institutions across the United States. It addresses national concerns regarding the long-term preservation of born-digital government information—particularly federal digital content of historical significance that is not being adequately captured through automated web harvesting or other standard preservation mechanisms.

History and Founding

The PEGI Project grew out of a series of meetings beginning in 2016 between university librarians, information professionals, and representatives of federal agencies including the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Inaugural support was provided by the University of North Texas Libraries (UNT) and the Center for Research Libraries (CRL). A formal project was launched with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant #LG-88-17-0129-17, which supported a National Forum Series. The project's Steering Committee includes experts from Stanford University, Arizona State University, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of Missouri, and other institutions.

Mission and Activities

PEGI focuses on tracking, analyzing, and coordinating the preservation of electronic government information. Its activities include conducting multimodal environmental scans of at-risk federal digital content, developing recommendations for a collaborative national preservation agenda, raising awareness among library leaders and professional associations, and building coalitions of institutions and individuals committed to long-term access to born-digital government information. The project uses the Collective Impact model to bring together collaborators from academia, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Relevance to Journalism

PEGI's work is directly relevant to journalists, researchers, and media organizations who rely on federal government data and publications. As born-digital government information—including datasets, reports, regulatory filings, and public notices—becomes increasingly at risk of loss or inaccessibility, PEGI's preservation efforts support the public's long-term ability to access the evidentiary record of government action that underpins accountability journalism and historical research.

Access and Resources

The PEGI Project website at pegiproject.org provides resources including publications, an events archive, a project timeline, and information on the steering committee and supporting institutions.