Message-Id: <mailto:199408270523.AAA16266@library.wustl.edu> Date: Fri, 26 Aug 1994 10:41:33 WST+8 From: Maggie Exon <mailto:maggie@BIBLIO.CURTIN.EDU.AU> Subject: Re: More digital resolution To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB <mailto:IMAGELIB@ARIZVM1.BITNET>
John Friend was right to emphasise that you wiould be able to decipher an archival quality microfilm in 500 years as long as you had a candle and a magnifying glass.I believe it is great to read about the latest technical innovations in image storage, as long as you are talking about them as a way of providing better access for current users. As soon as any idea of the technology's contribution to preservation is mooted, I start to worry.
It is not just a question of the life expectancy of the media or the software/hardware interface nor is it a technical question of the possibilities of transfer, refreshment or restoration of the image. It is a management problem. How are you going to ensure that 50, 100. 500 years into the future there will be people who will have the will, resources and knowledge and policies to ensure the task of transfer, refreshment or restoration is undertaken? There are already cases where computer media have been lovingly stored, only to find that they are no longer readable because necessary transfer programs have not been undertaken efficiently enough.
Our institution used to have a WANG word processing network using 8" disks. An enormous publicity campaign was launched before this equipment was disposed of to ensure all documents stored on these disks were transferred. Despite this, when our School (which as a library school should have known bwtter) moved in 1991, we found some which had not been done. This is a trivial example of what will be a continuing problem, which I believe is not sufficiently addressed.
G'day
Maggie Exon
Dr Maggie Exon Senior Lecturer School of Information and Library Studies Curtin University of Technology Perth Western Australia WA 6001 Phone (09) 351 7215. Fax (09) 351 3152 email mailto:maggie@biblio.curtin.edu.au