----------(1)
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 20:14:46 -0400
From: Albert Henderson <NobleStation@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: Re: Cost per title... (Dan Lester)

on 23 Oct 2000  Dan Lester <dan@riverofdata.com> wrote:

>>>  A few even still insist
>>> you take the whole group in paper if you want it in electronic.
>>> Now's the place to laugh.
>
>> There's little laughter about preservation. Computers are
>> not designed for academic archival standards.

>Nonsense.  Yes, I know that CDROMs may not last as long as archival
>paper. However, today's disk copies can be copied to new disks, or to
>whatever magnetic, optical, or other devices are developed in the
>future.  The copying can be done automatically on a regular schedule,
>just like libraries do backups of their databases.  In addition, the
>copies can be distributed so that there is no "last copy" that could
>be accidentally or deliberately destroyed.
>

The nonsense comes in the assumption that you will
have software that reads the copies. Some of us
have archives from a decade or two that are quite
useless on today's hardware and software -- even
if the media held up. True, if some institution takes
on the responsibility to systematically copy and
"migrate" materials to the so-called upgrades,
digital might have an archival potential. That is,
in theory, of course. Universities were once charged
with the responsibility of conserving the knowledge
of the past -- but we know there is no support for
that by the misers who run things.

Arms DIGITAL LIBRARIES speculates on a 'Rosetta
Stone' technology. Also a theory not a promise.

Regards,

Albert Henderson
Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
<70244.1532@compuserve.com>

----------(2)
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 20:53:28 -0400
From: csyed <ad6509@wayne.edu>
Subject: Re: Cost per title... (Dan Lester)

Dan Lester <dan@riverofdata.com wrote:

> ....  The copying can be done automatically on a regular schedule,
> just like libraries do backups of their databases....

Spot on. Digital copies are theoretically identical to the originals and to one
another, unless there is an actual media imperfection on one.... but both tape
and optical media will need periodic refreshing.

But I wonder how many archives really do have backup schedules in place? You
need either a fairly fast CD-ROM burner, or magnetic tape to do comprehensive
backups quickly.

I've been using Adaptec's EasyCD Creator software to backup my Web site for over
a year, and I have also noticed that the same disc will read on, say, three out
of five identical machines around the lab, but not on the others. Some people
swear that cheap CD-Rs are better than CD-RWs too, or vice versa.

How do werials librarians who have large CD-ROM collections deal with the
'refreshing' problem?

cbs
---
Chris Brown-Syed <ad6509@wayne.edu> <http://valinor.purdy.wayne.edu>
Ph: +1 313 577-0503.  Fax: +1 313 577-7563. Pager: +1 519 987-8409
Editor, Library & Archival Security. LIS Program, 106 Kresge Library,
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA, 482023939