403 PDF/A:Unpacking the standardization process

Standards development is not a siloed process. International delegates cross physical and cultural borders to participate in online and biannual in-person meetings in an ongoing effort to advance a common understanding of archival PDF technology. ISO delegations are comprised of industry professionals and practitioners of libraries, archives, and records management. These members ensure that PDF technology standards are thoroughly vetted and documented, but also meet the needs of the archival community. In this panel, delegates from the International Organization for Standardization’s technical committee for Document Management Applications (ISO/TC 171 SC 2) will unpack: the development process for PDF/A; coordination with digital preservation specialists; concerns about PDF/A’s implementations and limitations; and the consequences of failure to participate in the process.
This panel seeks to shed light on the full context of PDF standardization, fostering conversation with the preservation community about how archivists and information professionals can utilize specifications of PDF and how these communities can engage with the development process of the format. In this sense, having these discussions about PDF format in particular, enables us to raise awareness and build digital preservation capacity for a variety of stakeholders, to address cultural gaps or barriers that result from using and developing one common format, and to expand on how gaining context and knowledge of technical specifications and development of even one format can inform how that format is implemented across cultures and communities, whether they’re artistic, scientific, or both.
Panel attendees can expect the following: an in depth discussion of PDF standards development (the who, what, how); perspectives of developers, tool creators, archivists, and standards committee members regarding the intended and applied role of PDF/A in various communities - as a format, as it interacts with tools, as it’s used by users, developers, etc); and the issues “beyond PDF,” including concerns about the PDF format and various “what if’s” about using PDF in a preservation capacity. Attendees will have a better understanding of the development, use, and technical specifications of PDF format in addition to learning how to get involved in the process and provide feedback to the ISO committee.

标准制定并非孤立的过程。国际代表跨越物理与文化的界限，参与在线及每两年一次的面对面会议，旨在不断推进对档案 PDF 技术的共识。国际标准化组织（ISO）的代表团由图书馆、档案馆和档案管理行业的专业人士和实践者组成。这些成员确保 PDF 技术标准得到彻底的审查和记录，同时满足档案界的需求。在本研讨会上，国际标准化组织文档管理应用技术委员会（ISO/TC 171 SC 2）的成员将深入剖析：PDF/A 的开发过程；与数字保存专家的协调；对 PDF/A 实施和局限性的关注；以及未能参与该过程的后果。

本次研讨会旨在揭示 PDF 标准化的全面背景，通过与保存界进行对话，探讨档案学家和信息专业人员如何利用 PDF 规范，以及这些社区如何参与该格式的开发过程。在此意义上，针对 PDF 格式等特定问题的讨论，使我们能够提高对各种利益相关者的意识，构建数字保存能力，解决因使用和发展单一格式而产生的文化差距或障碍，并探讨对技术规范及其发展甚至单一格式的理解和知识如何影响该格式在不同文化和社区中的实施，无论它们是艺术性的、科学性的，还是两者兼而有之。

与会者可以期待以下内容：深入探讨 PDF 标准的发展（涉及谁、什么、如何）；开发者、工具创建者、档案学家和标准委员会成员对 PDF/A 在各个社区中预定和实际作用的观点——作为格式、与工具互动时、用户和开发者使用时等）；以及“PDF 之外”的问题，包括对 PDF 格式的关注以及关于在保存中使用 PDF 的各种“如果”情景。与会者将对 PDF 格式的开发、使用和技术规范有更深入的了解，同时学习如何参与该过程并向 ISO 委员会提供反馈。