[Genealib] Looking to the Future

[SUBVETPAUL at aol.com]

In a message dated 02/27/2009 8:38:40 AM Central Standard Time, 
daysa at oplin.org writes:

Hello
 
I am working on a Librarianship course called Developing a Successful 
Genealogy Collection.   I am hoping to get some input from this list. 
 
My question is what do you think your library will look like in 20 or 30 
years?  Will it still maintain the same ratio of books to digital sources?  
Computers are a wonderful thing, but will the need for them to view more sources 
become a problem?  Is microfilm here to stay and will you need more readers?
 
Any input will be appreciated.
 
Kathie Fortner


A subject of interest to Archivists, and Historians. 
 
First in my opinion, electronic storage for long term storage and recovery, 
represents a disaster. Virtually all electronic media, while being very 
efficient as tools, are transient.  
 
The equipment is continually being redesigned and in the process older 
equipment, which has hours of stored material can no longer be accessed. 
 
Think of electronic programs and equipment having a short shelf life, say one 
or two generations.  Hard copy archival books, well distributed, represent 
long term archival storage.
 
Computers and related equipment are great tools, but long term storage should 
always be in books and in libraries.
 
Paul W. Wittmer
_subvetpaul at aol.com_ (mailto:subvetpaul at aol.com)  
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