These memory sticks contain digitized versions of scrapbooks from local women’s institutes.
STRATFORD-PERTH ARCHIVES
Shireen Sasani
Stratford-Perth Archives
The electronic migration of information happens every second of every day; the amount of digital data available at your fingertips is astronomical. Yet in the overarching history of humankind, the use of electronic recording media is a comparatively new field of data storage and management. So, from a long-term archival point of view, these types of media may not be as durable or remain as fully accessible over time as one might generally assume.
Archives typically work to maintain a documented historical account for a particular area. The Stratford-Perth Archives, for example, preserves records relating to the people, places and things of Perth County. To that same end, most of these organizations have growing collections of electronic recording media, which could include things such as audio and videotapes, floppy or compact discs, flash drives, etc. However, the majority of electronic recording media have been in use less than 100 years, so their long-term survival rates are difficult to predict, as compared to traditional print media.
According to the Canadian Conservation Institute, a leading heritage conservation resource worldwide, “The preservation of audio, video and data recording media significantly differs from more traditional recording media like print material, such as books, paper documents or photographs. For print media, preserving the paper, or the ‘information carrier,’ preserves the content. Preserving recording media involves more than simply keeping the media in good condition. It requires equipment to read them, and in some cases, software to interpret the stored information. The state of the technology of the media affects the preservation and access to their contents.”
Here’s a simple way to think about data accessibility – if both a book and an external hard drive are sitting side by side on a table, how easy would it be to retrieve the information inside? What if you accidentally dropped either one on the floor, or worse, a puddle of water? After some drying time and careful cleaning the book would likely still be readable, but would the hard drive?
None of this is to say that digital storage is necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, it allows for huge amounts of information to be stored in a very small amount of space. But it would be illogical to place all faith in one type of recording medium and fail to preserve older, more stable types like paper and print media in favour of only electronic. It is important that all eggs are not placed in one basket, so to speak. In the photo seen here, for example, an array of local women’s institute scrapbooks were digitized and put on memory sticks in the archives’ collection – researchers are able to access more information at a time, and the original records will last longer due to less frequent handling.
The physical longevity of any recording media is affected by a variety of factors, such as storage conditions or the quality and composition of the original manufactured parts. Characteristics can alter over time due to differences in materials or upgradable components, and the right equipment to access the information can become more difficult to procure. Basically, the state of the data carrier dictates the access to the data itself. That’s why it is so important that the environment in the archives’ collections storage area is heavily monitored and physical access to original records be regulated in order to protect and sustain access to all types of media for as long as physically possible.
Helpful Tips for Your Personal Data Storage:
- Backup your personal files in more than one digital location. Think about how often you need to access the files, bearing in mind that technology itself is constantly evolving. After all, when was the last time you saw a laptop with a CD-ROM drive preinstalled? Or you tried watching a movie on a VHS tape instead of using Netflix, or stuck an 8-track cassette into your car stereo instead of tuning in to Spotify or satellite radio?
- Print out some of your favourite photos and create an actual, physical photo album. Family albums and scrapbooks are a great way to display and share cherished memories that might otherwise just sit in a virtual folder on your phone or computer.
- When the time is right for you, please consider donating any personal or family items of Perth County significance to the Stratford-Perth Archives. In a well-controlled environment, whether it’s print or digital material, these items will survive longer than in a home where light, humidity and temperature levels fluctuate. Donations can be made by booking an appointment with our archivist. Please call 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or email archives@perthcounty.ca
