The Changing Face of Archival Storage: Digital Mass Storage, Internet Technology and Beyond
Archives have centuries of experience with physical materials on shelves. In the 20th century, audiovisual archives used shelves to hold material that needed special equipment to be played (film projectors, audio or videotape players etc.), introducing technical dependence and obsolescence - factors unknown in the world of paper documents. The last few decades have seen two new alternatives: digital mass storage systems to replace shelves, and internet access rather than playing physical items on special equipment. We lose one dependency - specific players for specific formats - and gain another: making digital mass storage and internet technology work!
The Changing Face of Archival Storage: Digital Mass Storage, Internet Technology and Beyond
Archives have centuries of experience with physical materials on shelves. In the 20th century, audiovisual archives used shelves to hold material that needed special equipment to be played (film projectors, audio or videotape players etc.), introducing technical dependence and obsolescence - factors unknown in the world of paper documents. The last few decades have seen two new alternatives: digital mass storage systems to replace shelves, and internet access rather than playing physical items on special equipment. We lose one dependency - specific players for specific formats - and gain another: making digital mass storage and internet technology work!