In some ways, digital libraries are a very good thing. In others, not. Not everything ever published will ever be digitised. Only what someone, somewhere will choose to find time, money and computer space to copy.
Electronic media are fragile in their own ways and they do need electricity to work. They also need the electronic means to be used and that does mean having access to and the means to use the proper protocoles (so do you have the right version of flash or adobe or whatever else is being used ritht now? will it still be readable in 10 years?) Systems can crash, be hacked, be compromised or data files corrupted, or erased. Just because its digitized does not mean it is permanent. And they are no more or less impervious to physical damage caused by war, malice, cataclysm or fate. To abandon one means of trans-generational memory that works for another that may work is folly. Why not maximise memory by investing in all forms of remembering? People, books, films, and yes, digital libraries, in all languages and all available media. A kind of memory biodiversity ... Lucie DuFresne Canada - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com
