Original vs. digital

Volume 20, Number 3 • February 2000

Original vs. digital
by Janet L. Balas

ONLINE TREASURES column discusses trends in preserving archives. Considers how new electronic technologies can be used to preserve the modest collection of local history materials and provide improved access at the Monroeville Public Library in Pennsylvania. Investigates whether continuing to microfilm copies of a local paper is worthwhile or if it should be digitized, turning to the Internet for answers. Mentions the Library of Congress and its Preservation Directorate established to ensure that there is uninterrupted access to its collections. Says a helpful aid is the online document entitled Digitising History, which comes from the Arts and Humanities Data Service of the University of Essex. Discusses other institutions and groups that provide preservation information. Says an important discovery was that digital preservation does not diminish the importance of preserving the original material. Includes three screen displays and a list of references.