[Genealib] Looking to the Future

[Grunow, Gregg S.]

Having preservation duties along with my genealogical ones I still believe books and microfilm should be used for the longterm preservation of the information.  I still view digital collections as an excellent way to access information but for the longterm is still unreliable.  We here have created several digital collections of which we are very proud and give access to anyone online of information that had been only available in this room however I am always concerned about losing everything.  It is very complicated and expensive to back everything up and migrate from one generation of software and hardware to another before they become obsolete.  My main concern is that most of the maintaining, funding and purchasing of software and hardware is not controlled by me, I only have input and suggestion making ability.  Changing priorities are always a concern.

I have always been a big believer in placing materials on microfilm or digital files but taking care of the original physical book, journal, newspaper, booklet, etc.   If the electronics fail for whatever reason the original is still here.

While I think a growing percentage of our budget will go to digital information resources just for the accessability factor and the higher expense a significant amount will still go to books and microfilm.

My two cents,



Gregg Grunow
Senior Librarian
Newport News Public Library System
Main Street Library
Virginiana Room
110 Main Street
Newport News, VA 23601
757-591-4858
ggrunow at nngov.com
________________________________
From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu [genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of SUBVETPAUL at aol.com [SUBVETPAUL at aol.com]
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 8:58 AM
To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Looking to the Future

In a message dated 03/02/2009 7:22:25 AM Central Standard Time, loathout at tcpclibrary.org writes:
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
Paper and published archival books will last many generations. Stone engravings and Bronze castings will not endure. Mmultiple paper copies and books well distributed in archives will outlive many of us.

Electronic storage lasts only as long the monthly bills are being paid and the programs are intact and available on a wide variety of electronic equipments.

A sad loss of volumes of valuable genealogical data is, or has been lost with the use of low cost acid papers to produce all those white page telephone books in the 1930's, 1940's and beyond.  When found, these books yield names, addresses for specicic times. However the paper is often brittle and crumbles when turning a page.

In situations, such as this, microfilming would have preserved the data.

My preference is to utilize all available electronic based tools to compile, develop publications and distribute the books to archives, libraries, historic societies and the like.

See the attached two page description of my recent work on basic genealogy of 3,600 WWII men.  Records of men and their families from every state are listed.

Paul W. Wittmer
subvetpaul at aol.com<mailto:subvetpaul at aol.com>


________________________________
Need a job? Find employment help in your area<http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005>.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/pipermail/genealib/attachments/20090303/4a3beb44/attachment.html