On Thu, 1 Sep 2005, Jon Noring wrote:
>> This only strengthens my view that the #1 priority for archives of
>> unique materials should be to digitize them -- and if possible make
>> the
>> digital copies *publicly available* so they can be mirrored in various
>> digital archives worldwide (as the Internet Archive does.)
> And exactly why does the writer think that it isn't their #1 priority?
Well, good point. I don't know regarding Hogan Archive.
My comment was a general statement rather than being specific to
Hogan.
I believe that Jon's initial comment was very important, even if it might
not apply directly to the situation which prompted that comment.
I am reminded of the flood which hit
Houston and I was left trying to rescue many unique recordings of the
Houston Symphony's performances...a fire in California which destroyed
what was the finest collection in private hands of performances of the
Boston Symphony...I also worry about a friend of mine, who lives (lived?)
in Baton Rouge. He was a pupil of the great pianist composer Dohnanyi. Ron
had probably the finest collection of Dohnanyi recordings. While libraries
hold great things, private collections also hold many treasures.
For me, digitization is only part of it. Duplicate copies, in different
locations is, for me, of equal importance. While we do not have the fiscal
resources to adequately address our preservation needs, unlike the
Library of Alexandria, we do have the techology to make duplicate
copies at minimal expense.
It is all so sad. For me, it sometimes seems that what we lose overshadows
what we have preserved.
Karl
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