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Archiver > TMG > 2000-02 > 0949490585


From: David Murray <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Data Storage for the Future
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 11:23:05 +0000


In connection with long-term data storage someone wrote:

>Library of Congress is also a consideration.

I don't know how the law stands in the USA, but here in the UK one is
supposed to send a copy of every published book or magazine issue to the
British Library, and also to the national libraries of Scotland and
Wales. Without the regulations in front of me I can't remember precisely
but I think there may be another place also.

This (barring catastrophic accident) takes at least minimalist care of the
book storage. But are we talking decades or centuries? If centuries, then
the materials used become critical. Inks and papers are not all equally
long-lasting. For example, I have a file of totally unreadable papers from
my first years in portable computing, back in the early/mid-80s - they were
produced on a portable thermal printer (those with long memories will
remember the beautiful little machine from Kodak that came out c.1983; they
used 'fax paper' and faded completely after very few years so everything
had to be reprinted or photocopied back at the office). None of our
present-day technologies, such as ink-jet and laser, are as bad as that;
but we could be storing up problems for future generations unless we use
something 'permanent'.

This doesn't matter for normal everyday usage, of course. But if we want
to leave something for far future posterity it will be worth some
research. I wonder what the archivist professionals have to say about this.

- David Murray -


============================================
David Murray, PO Box 73, Blackburn, England, BB2 7BS.
Web: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fishwick/
============================================
Areas of focus (chiefly 17th to 19th centuries):
LOCAL HISTORY - North and East Lancashire; Westmorland
SURNAMES - Fishwick; Murray; Boyers; Ambler; Godmond
============================================
Other surname interests:
CRUST - PHYSICK - ATKINSON - WALKER - LAMB
TAYLOR - BARNES - BLENKHARN - SPICER - FOX
SUTTON - MOULTON - HUGGONSON - HINCHCLIFFE
BOOTH - BAIRSTOW - RUNCHMAN - LAMB
============================================
An enthusiastic user of "The Master Genealogist" software
============================================

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