Finding a Replacement for Paper: ‘The Problems with Digitalization By Albert €. Whiteners HIS 508: Archives Management University of tins Springild Spring 2005Problems with Digitalization 2 Abstract For countless years, the main medium of storing and saving information has been ‘paper. This has created a growing concer for archivists and librarians as books ‘gradually wear out over time. Other mediums are being investigated to preserve our ‘written word such as digitization, At first glance, using digital means seems inexpensive, flexible and easy to store, However, there are multiple problems that spring up. Floppy disks, magnetic tape and CD-ROMs do not have the longevity of paper. They require the ‘same controlled conditions to ensure survival as the most fragile of rare books. There is also the even more serious problem of systems becoming obsolete. Floppy disks replace tape, CD-ROM replace floppy disks and DVDs replace CD-ROMS. As each new ‘medium is ereated, it becomes harder and harder to find equipment that can run the old formats. There is also the growing tend of information only being available digitally (uch as email, web pages or chat rooms). This information is being lost at an astonishing rate with litle to no chance to preserve it. This paper explores these concems and why digital is not a true answer to the replacement of paper.Introduction Replacing Paper How Long Will ItLast? Is Obsolete? ‘An Overflow of Information Conctusions Endnotes Bibliography Table of Contents Problems with Digitalization 3Problems with Digitalization 4 ‘This year I attended a conference which highlighted some of the new technology ‘that is coming out to be used by faculty and students in higher education. One of the _many sessions was a demo of a new pen that students could purchase that would record all their notes digitally as they are taking them in class. A student could use their paper notes or stick this pen into a computer por later and also download a digital copy. Some schools had already started requiring their students to purchase such a pen so students could share their notes online and supposedly use it for greater learning and collaboration. My first thoughts though were for this pen as an archival tool. What if we ‘could record anytime someone in business or government were taking notes in an important meeting? What if we could record everything without depending on paper? It thas a certain attraction but also an endless list of problems as wel (what kind of | ‘computer do you need, what ifthe pen malfunctions, how much does it cost and what if {you have to upgrade). The archival (andthe library) world is looking towards éi jtization as a possible safety net for their collections but is also trying to cope with the high obsolete/changeability rate of any technology. Is there relly ever going to be a replacement for paper thats actually going to solve all he problems of storage, accesibility, longevity and merely survival? Replacing Paper For countless years, the main medium of storing and saving information hasbeen paper. Our libraries are filled with countess books from the present day to hundreds of ‘years inthe pat. Some books are very rae or outof print while others are copies of copies that continue to be popular year ae year. Whether a librarian, historian or archivist, their job isto preserve this information (so researchers/patrons can continue toProblems with Digitalization 5 se and enjoy this data for years to come). One librarian, Alan Howell, describes paper as the “perfect” way to preserve data. He remarks that “paper's ubiquity should not be surprising. We have nearly two thousand years experience in making paper by hand and, for the last two hundred years or so, making paper by machine, When kept in a cool and ‘dey conditions, high quality paper that is also moderately alkaline and made from purified cellulose pulp is likely to remain flexible, durable and las for several hundred years." ‘The chellenge comes in creating that cool and dry environment. Archivist Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler writes that “environmental factors tat can hasten the deterioration of paper and other materials inchue high temperature, elevated relative humidity, light, pollution, and biological agents. Independently, each ofthese factors, if uncontrolled, can cause specific types of damage to record materials, but they also have distinct cumulative relationships to one another."* Each factor can destroy paper but combine several of them and the process accelerates. Besides this, the archivist must worry about extensive hhandiing and abuse (should I give the person a copy rather than the original). There is also the ultimate fear of fire or some other ster that might destroy the facility where re eee mente re sciavromen drei tn racy fsb apna Vi of as psc we tes gma? - How Long Will It Last? OO ‘In my own personal library, I have Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and ‘Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book contains all fifty-six short stories and the four novels that detail the exploits ofthe famous detective from 221 Baker Street in 924 pages. [also have all these works loaded on my computer at home in an Adobe AcrobatProblems with Digitalization 6 format, Acrobat is a popular product that exploded on the scene withthe World Wide ‘Web and allows books to be viewed from any computer that has the free Adobe Reader software loaded, ‘means that all these works by Doyle can be reduced to 1.89 mega bytes of space (or roughly two million bytes) on the harddrive of my computer. This seans that you can almost get al of Sherlock Holmes" adventures on a standard 3.5 floppy disk. If we say that one of those works, The Hound ofthe Baskeriles, isthe size ‘of typical novel found in any library, this means that an average book is ony about 200 kilobytes on a computer in Adobe format. Here is a simple chart then of the most ‘common storage mediums for a computer and how many books one of them could hold Format Sage Capaciy ‘amber oF Books (Average) 525 Floppy Disk a0 Rilbyies is 3.5 Floppy Disk 7,400 Kilobytes 7 CD-ROM 800 Megabytes 4,000, Caan ‘DVD-ROM 4,500 Megabytes 22,500 ae Typical Hard Deive | 100,000 Megabytes (100 GB) 500,000 vos Ud ‘As shown above, digital suddenly looks very attractive. Ona single 100 Gigabyte hhard drive (which is fairly standard on most computers since 2002-2003), a half a million ‘books could be kept. On a single CD (that runs around a quarter in cost), an unbelievable ‘number of books can be kept ina space that a fraction of the size ofa single paperback novel found in a grocery store. Considering these statistics, why do archives and libraries hesitate? ‘As mentioned above, paper has a remarkable life span if treated respectably. How Jong does the various computer storage mediums mentioned above last? If we examine ceach one, problems are encountered with each. The floppy disk has been around since ~ 1971 in various sizes and storage capabilities. The disk is actually a “circular piece ofProblems with Digitalization 7 thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic wallet.” * tte cli is removed em thes walt ius, Fngerwinty fy i dst and condensation can ak ny opp uma. They ae as hehly ty sensitive to magnetic flelds. A simple magnetic found in a child's toy could erase the . ‘valuable files on one ofthese disks Tincluded the 5.25 inch disk above because isthe frst one I ever remember using on a computer back in the 1980s. It was stil being used when T graduated college in 1990, I tll have some in boxes in my basement, but they ae no relly useful lo me ‘anymore, You probably cannot goto any computer store and find a 5.25 inch drive that will ead these disks. It is also doubtful that a new computer would even be abe to recognize it most computer developers like Del or Apple probably donot see the need) ‘The data on those diss is lotto me because [never thought to transfer it to another medium, The3.5 floppy is nt far behind. Since the 1980s, most personal computers have had some sort of floppy disk drive, However, Apple Computer “was the first mass- Ysa compe mnt pth op ef compe ma Uy Lon. optional in some models stating in 2003."* With the huge storage capacities of CD- ‘. ROMs and DVDs, most ofthe business world is quick to abandon ther floppy disks but > \_ is anybody saving or transferring that information? ‘CD-ROM stands for compact dse read-only-memory. The first one was actually fa?T | setedin ine ae 1960 by Janes. Ruel. He veloped a potted that WS noes tessa ct Tesfev ee Problems with Digialization “8 tlonies converted oan electrical signal and then o audio or visual display for playback."® In —Pygl-plF ” = the 19805, he would sl his idea to Sony, and development would Begin in ful of sing "aba these disks for digital storage. Since then, a number of formats have been created: Lo ~ Audio only 2. CD-ROM ~Can ony ead dat romieannot save files to 4 CDR “Camis ome (hen ima to be anemal CD-ROM) 4 CD-RW —Fileseanbe writen and deleted to muliple times. dang, Yolk “The msjsity of computers today have at east one CD-ROM drive ane likely aCD-RICD-RW dive). The pric of CD-AVCD-RW disks has als lowered in rn i a ys th ito pr hn ead iy si igo mt er archives and libraries. There are a number of questions though regarding care and longevity th isting profesional wold os Come itmey ad afro Revues nd Nts Inno Stand and Technology published a pape onthe care of CDs and DVDs for archival pc Stas pa i a na ey et stored and how environmental co ns affect them. Six factors were identified that ‘can affect the life expectancy of a CD: Type — + Manufacturing quality Condition ofthe dise before recording Quality of the dise recording, _——* Handling and maintenance _— © Environmental conditions® Manufacturers have stated that atypical CD-R or DVD-R could last a 100 years if stored within the recommended conditions (roughly 25 degrees Celsius and 50 percent relative humidity).” This is a very rough estimate since adequate testing has not been performed and simply because we have not had CDs or DVDs that long. This is alsoyw EC a ANS SS Ay aia a at paper, such factors as light, moisture and handling ean greatly limit pollutants."® Li the ifeofa CD. A single serach from a careless handler can ender a CD completely useless. Unlike a tear on apiece of pape, a CD cannot be patched by any normal means. ‘White this paper from the CLIR and NIST gives the manufactures life expectancy, they are alo quick to doubt the reality ot since extensive testing has not been done. After a minimum amount of exploring, I also found three web sits listing «different estimated expectancies of CD-ROMs: [Author ——anicleName SSCS Cmte Span of CD. Jeff Rothenberg | “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information” | _5-59 years ‘Dan Keller “Freiting About the Longevity of CDs asa Digital | 2-20 years Storage Medium’ ‘CeeilAdams | “Do CDs Have a Life Expectancy of 10 Vears™™ | 30100 years ‘The newest storage medium is the DVD (which stands for digital video disk or digital versatile dise depending on what book oratcle you read) Itis very similar to CDs except data is literally compressed more tightly on the disc, A single DVD can hold ‘5-6 times the data on a standard CD-ROM, Even though data is more compact, DVDs scem more resistant to seratches than CDs. Smal and light scratches do litle harm, sya ‘Deep ones can render the entire disc useless (like normal CDs). DVDs need to be treated to the same handling care and environmental concerns as CDs to ensure maximum ite ‘A computer harddrive is pethaps the most difficult o determine lifespan simply ‘due ots location, Since itis contained within the computer, itean be aected bythe computer overheating, cletial surge or environmental concerns like dust and moisture In terms of storage, itis limited by the sheer size ofthe computer itself (even the smallestProblems with Digitaliztion 10 laptop is heavier than a stack of CDs). It ean however hold the most data by far but is certainly unstable just due to the nature ofits operation. Is 1tObsolete? ‘With these five main types of digital storage, i is safe to assume that paper is still king in terms of longevity. The question then remains whether digital is still the answer due to storage and accessibility. We have already defined that a single CD can hold the equivalent of four thousand books at the relative cheap cost of les than a dollar per dis. However, to access information from a book only requires the person to be able to ead in the language the book is printed in while a CD requires very specific equipment, Author Jeff Rothenberg describes a possible scenario: “The year is 2045, and my grandchildren (as yet unborn) are exploring the attic of my house (as yet unbought). They finda letter dated 1995 and a ‘CD-ROM (compact disk). The letter claims that the disk contains a ‘document that provides the key to obtaining my fortune (as yet unearned). [My grandchildren are understandably excited, but they have never seen a CD before — except in old movies — and even if they can somehow find a suitable disk drive, how will they run the software necessary to interpret the information on the disk? How ean they read my obsolete digital document?” ‘While Rothenberg is trying to be humorous, he brings up a very real point. Computer technology becomes obsolete at an alarming rate. A very real example was the U.S. Census of 1960, It was stored on digital tape that required a reader that quickly disappeared from the market. Government officials had to scramble to come up with ‘means to transfer the data onto other digital storage. ‘Since the first personal computer appeared, it has required a software package to be somehow in memory that would allow ito be controlled by users through some sort ‘of text or graphical interface. This software is called an operating system. Since the1990s, the most popular operating system has been Microsoft's Windows software, This package has gone through several versions: Windows, Windows 3.0, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows “XP. As you can tell, the operating system gets a major upgrade every few years. The documents that worked on Windows 3.11 may or may not work on Windows 2000 or XP. It is not unusual for some audio/video software like QuickTime, Real or Windows Media torelease newer versions every year (or maybe twice a year). A CD may actually last ee 100 years but what use i tif the software that could read it disappeared after 4 or S years? In areport on the archiving of digital information, members ofthe Research Libraries Group write: technological obsolescence and to overcome the fragility, archivists have adopted the technique of “refreshing” digital information by copying onto new media. Copying fiom medium to medium, however, also suffers limitations as a means of ‘ digital preservation. Refreshing digital information by copying will work ad as an effective preservation technique only as long asthe information is we coded informs that is indepenent ofthe particular bardware ad software needed to use it and as long as there exists software to jo? Y {manipulate the format in cutet we Otherwise, copying depends cher Ke on the compatibility of preset and past versions of software and | generations of hardware or the ability of competing hardware and software product lines to imteroperat. In respect ofthese factors ~ backward 1 serious toll on efforts to ensure the longevity of digital information, yy , +b) AY empatiiy nan he to change ects bane by palit and interoperability teat of ehnaaal shane ex ‘The computer industry does not lend itself towards backward compatibility. Tt is an — — ee industry that thrives on consumers purchasing the newest upgrades and/or enhancements. How do we keep and maintain this data? Computer engineer, Jack Ganssle, , April 2005, “Tid 5 TechTarget Conferences, “Fast Guide to CD/DVD,” ‘, September 2003. Fred R. Byers, “Information Technology: Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs =A Guide for Librarians and Archivists,” National Institute of Standards and Technology ‘Spectal Publication 500-252: 12. Ibid, 13, Ibid, 14. ° Jeff Rothenberg, “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information,” Sctenrifc American 272 (January 1995): 44 "” Dan Keller, “Freting about the Longevity of CDs as a Digital Storage Medium,” , July 2003, " Cecil Adams, “Do CDs Have a Life Expectancy of 10 Years?” -, August 2002. "Jeff Rothenberg, “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information,” Scientific American 272 January 1995): 42. "Ibid. 4 The Research Libraries Group & The Commission on Preservation and Access. ‘Task Force on Archiving of Digital Information, Preserving Digital Information, (May 1996):9, "Jack Ganssle, “Planning for Longevity,” Embedded com I (July 2004): 2. "Tid,Problems with Digitalizaton 16 ¥ lan Howell, “Perfect One Day ~ Digital The Next: Challenges in Preserving Digital Information,” Australian Academic & Research Libraries (December 2000): 121. Mary Ellen Bates, “Archiving the Web,” Online 27 (November/December 2003): 64. "Johan F. Steenbakkers, “Preserving Electronic Publications,” Information ‘Services and Use (April-Iuly 2002): 89. * Ronald Schuchard, “Excavating the Imagination: Archival Research and the Digital Revolution,” Libraries d Culture 37 (Winter 2002): 60.‘Adams, Cecil. ‘Do CDs Have a Life Expectancy of 10 Years?” “. August 2002. Bates, Mary Ellen. “Archiving the Web.” Online 27 (November/Devember 2003): 64. Byers, Fred R. “Information Technology: Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs - A Guide for Librarians and Archivists." Narional Institue of Standards and Technology Special Publication 00-252. Ganssle, Jack. “Planning for Longevity.” Embedded com I (uly 2004): 1-6. Howell, Alan. “Perfect One Day ~ Digital The Next: Challenges in Preserving Digital Information.” Australian Academic & Research Libraries (December 2000): 121- 14h Keller, Dan. “Fretting about the Longevity of CDs as a Digital Storage Medium.” -, July 2003. ‘Norman, Donald. “Floppy Disks.” . April 2008. ‘The Research Libraries Group & The Commission on Preservation and Access. Task Force on Archiving of Digital Information. Preserving Digital Information. 1 May 1996, Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn. Preserving Archives and Manuscripts. Chicago: The Society of ‘American Archivists, 1993, Rothenberg, Jeff “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information.” Scientific American 272 (January 1995): 42-47, ‘Schuchard, Ronald, “Excavating the Imagination: Archival Research and the Digital Revolution.” Libraries Culture 37 (Winter 2002): 57-64, ‘teenbakkers, Johan F. “Preserving Electronic Publications.” Information Services and {Use (Apri-July 2002): 89-97. TechTarget Conferences. “Fast Guide to CD/DVD.” -. September 2003,