WHY ANALOGUE?
The digital dilemma
It is well known that the longevity, the readability, and the lifecycle of electronic storage media are – especially form an archivist’s point of view - extremely short.
The inherent challenges of digital data preservation have been addressed in numerous international publications and reports (see literature below).
Digital media
• are endangered to become unreadable due to technical obsolescence
• require migration to new storage media every 10-20 years
• suffer from unavoidable statistical loss of data and enhanced risk of failure over their lifespan
• are susceptible against water, temperatures above 50°C, and electro-magnetic fields
• cause high recurring cost.
Literature
The Digital Dilemma. By The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2007).
http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/sci-tech-projects/digital-dilemma
The Digital Black Hole. By Jonas Palm, Swedish National Archives, Stockholm (2007).
