Re: [AV Media Matters] definition of 'archival'

[rburkel@juno.com]

For document preservation we use ANSI / NAPM IT 9.13-1996 Life Expectancy
commonly known as the LE Rating. The standard reads:

2.21 life expectancy (LE) The length of time that information is
predicted to be retrievable in a system under extended term storage
conditions.

2.22 LE designation: A rating for the "life expectancy" of recording
materials and associated retrieval systems. The number following the LE
symbol is a prediction of the minimum life expectancy in years for which
information can be retrieved without significant loss when stored under
extended-term conditions, e.g., LE 100 indicates that information can be
retrieved after at least 100 years of storage.

Russ Burkel / Analogue Imaging LLC

On Thu, 01 Feb 2001 11:56:32 -0800 Peter Brothers <lists@specsbros.com>
writes:

>This question has come up frequently at both AMIA and in a number of
>standards committees.  From the discussions, it is fairly obvious
>that there is neither an accepted formal definition nor a generally accepted
>working definition in the field.
>
>In general terms, "archival" as it applies to media and format issues is
>consistently used to mean "intended for storage usage".  The problem is that
>users attempt to attach an intended storage duration to the term. There is
>no standard duration attached to the term nor, most likely, will there ever
>be one.  Duration, as it applies to the term must be added as a modifier.
>
>It is totally impractical to attempt to narrowly redefine a term that has
>such a broad and varied usage base.  To reach consensus in the field and
>reduce continuing confusion, we should try to standardize the modifiers, not
>the word "archival".  If experts in the field consistently started using the
>terms :"short-term archival", "medium-term archival" and "long-term archival" instead of the vague non-time-related term "archival", we
>could stop the fruitless arguments about the term itself.
>
>ANSI, ISO and AES already have definitions for short-term, medium-term and
>long-term as they relate to media and format duration so why not use them?
>
>Peter Brothers
>President
>SPECS BROS., LLC
>peter@specsbros.com
>web-site: http://www.specsbros.com
>TAPE RESTORATION AND DISASTER RECOVERY
>SINCE 1983
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: tony gardner [mailto:anthony.gardner@cec.eu.int]
>>Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 10:28 AM
>>To: AV Media Matters
>>Subject: [AV Media Matters] definition of 'archival'
>>The word comes up often.
>>What is the formal or working definition of 'archival' in
>>media/support and
>>format terms and is it generally accepted?