[Genealib] Looking to the Future

[Larry Oathout]

I guess 
I am going with the flow, but only books and other paper are forever, and 
that is why they should remain.  Microfilm will still exist in one form or 
another.  Databases will stay, and the best ones will be locally produced, 
as you still "own" them.  It is a scary future when vast collections can 
just disappear when you are forced to cancel a subscription, or the company 
goes under.
 
Larry Oathout
Director
Tell City-Perry County Library
Tell City, IN 47586
812-547-2661
(Fax) 547-3038
www.tcpclibrary.org


-----Original Message-----
From: "David Hardin" <davidhar at plano.gov>
To: "Librarians Serving Genealogists" <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:05:59 -0600
Subject: RE: [Genealib] Looking to the Future


To echo Paul’s thoughts, you will find the trend of the “next best” 
format has always been to produce media with a shorter shelf life than the 
previous.
 
For any item, a print version will outlast a microform version, and a 
microform version will outlast the digital version in reasonable conditions. 
 Records (LPs) have a longer shelf life than tape, and tape lasts longer 
than any digital format in place today.  This is also true to some extent 
with photographs; those older color photographs will fade alarmingly fast, 
while the black and white images can stay timeless.
 
The hope is that those in charge of our digital legacy will be aware enough 
to transfer the files to new media before too much degradation occurs (hence 
restarting the time bomb).  “Digital archives” is an oxymoron.  If any 
institution is “archiving” items only digitally, say goodbye to that 
collection unless they are incredibly steadfast in their backup plan AND 
incredibly lucky.  The concept that we will no longer need books or even 
microfilm in the future is just as preposterous as the concept of a 
paperless society (I am sure you remember that from your library school 
days).  
 
More to the point of the original question, I believe in 20-30 years our 
library will have access to more databases with digital images of original 
records, we will have many more books, and we will still have microfilm.  
The ratio of print to digital will change due to the potential for digital 
to grow incredibly fast and also the potential to completely crash.  We are 
already seeing restrictions within our system on expanding the number of 
public computers based on bandwidth issues.  Microfilm 
reader/printer/scanners will continue to be costly and may become scarce in 
the future.
 
If you are only interested in access, digital sources, minus the technical 
headaches, are the best thing since sliced bread.  If you are more concerned 
with having a viable collection when the Great Electromagnetic Event of 2048 
hits or when the Director says we have to slash 60% of our budget and all of 
your subscriptions are indefinitely cancelled, it’s best to diversify, 
hedge your bets, and be thoughtful about every move you make.  
 
One problem with the purchase of large microfilm sets is Will this be up on 
Footnote.com or FamilySearch.org next year?  That is not a bad problem to 
have if you have properly defined your collection and your mission.  If you 
have anything unique in your collection, treat it with the upmost respect.  
Use other people’s money whenever possible (monetary donations) and have 
individuals/organizations donate the items you do not feel you can justify 
purchasing with your institution’s funds (material donations).  Beg (for 
donations), Borrow (subscribe to Ancestry LE, etc.), and Steal (from 
accounts that never seem to spend all of their materials budget).
 
If you are part of an organization that handles “digital archives,” keep 
yourself up to date on the technology and make sure to backup/transfer files 
before they degrade (the old rule of thumb was every 5 years, I’m not sure 
what it might be now).  I was in Dr. Kenneth Lavender’s Preservation class 
at the University of North Texas when he received the question, What is the 
most stable environment for information?  Tape, microfilm, digital?  The 
answer, pencil on paper.
 
 
David Allan Hardin, MSLIS  
Genealogy Librarian Supervisor
Plano Public Library System
2501 Coit Road
Plano, Texas  75075
972.769.4443
davidhar at plano.gov



From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu 
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of 
SUBVETPAUL at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 11:39 AM
To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Looking to the Future
 
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 
 



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