Message-Id: <mailto:199503210439.WAA26135@library.wustl.edu> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1995 20:26:38 EDT From: Lee Dirks <mailto:Lee_Dirks@OCLC.ORG> Subject: Re: Microfilm Digitization To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
Message: >I am curious, some imaging systems use COM as the "archival" or
>long term storage copy. When you say basic standards do you mean
>the type of film stock and method of processing, or image quality
>(resolution)?
As you probably well know, the word "archival" means different things to different people. To me, archival means taking care to preserve the informational content and/or artifactual nature of a given item. Whether that means storage in acid-free enclosure in ideal storage conditions, or what have you, it implies to me the intent to ensure the longevity of that item. To people who store business records or work with large scale imaging systems and produce COM, I'll bet that most of the time archival is going to mean an alternate method of long-term storage. That concept often has nothing to do with guaranteeing the longevity, the image quality, or the original format of the item in question. To most people in the storage and computer side of things, archival might only need to be 7 years or 50 years; to those of us concerned with the preservation of information, archival must mean as close to permanent as current techology permits. COM can't meet this test.