Archival & Storage Policy
HeinOnline, Microforms, & Print Material
William S. Hein & Co., Inc. has scanned thousands of old and rare books—many of which could not be disbound for traditional scanning. Using custom-built software and specialized imaging equipment, we digitize rare and fragile materials for inclusion in HeinOnline, convert them to microform, or reprint them as acid-free volumes. Once digitized, the original books are returned to their lending libraries.
Given the historical value and physical fragility of these materials, we maintain secure storage environments and do not place rare originals into dark archive storage. This policy outlines our approach to digital content preservation, microform storage, and physical print retention.
Archival and Preservation Statement
At William S. Hein & Co., Inc., we take the security, integrity, and availability of data seriously. We adhere to—or exceed—the industry-standard 3-2-1 backup strategy:
- Three separate copies of all data
- Two distinct storage media types
- One offsite, immutable backup to protect against localized disasters and cyber threats such as ransomware
To support this strategy, HeinOnline’s infrastructure is designed for resilience. We operate across multiple high-availability clusters, each containing full active and backup copies of all databases. These clusters are distributed across geographically separated data centers and use load balancing technologies to ensure maximum uptime and fault tolerance.
Our digital backup and preservation practices includes maintaining regular backups in secure data centers, creating full archival snapshots stored offsite, and safeguarding newly added materials through nightly ingestion backups.
In addition to active HeinOnline content, we maintain long-term storage copies of original scanned files, microform-ready files, and digital print files. Files not included in HeinOnline are retained indefinitely; those that are included have corresponding source files preserved for a minimum of 12 months.
We further reinforce our preservation efforts by implementing:
- Routine testing and validation of backup files to ensure recoverability
- Encryption of data both in transit and at rest
- Strict retention and compliance policies aligned with industry standards
- Immutable storage technologies that prevent unauthorized modification or deletion
By combining real-time redundancy, rigorous backup schedules, and long-term storage practices, HeinOnline content remains safe, accessible, and recoverable—no matter the circumstance.
Microform Storage
Microform masters are kept in two secure, climate-controlled vaults at an offsite storage facility. This facility maintains temperature and humidity conditions in accordance with ANSI/ISO standards for long-term media preservation.
Print Inventory Retention
Historically, we have retained physical copies of all materials digitized for HeinOnline. As the publishing industry shifts toward digital-first workflows, we are gradually reducing the volume of physical print inventory.
While select original print materials are still stored securely, the majority of new content is received and stored electronically—typically via XML transfer from our publishing partners. Print reproduction, where needed, is now primarily supported through digital print files sourced from our archival systems.