Computers – Curse or Saviour for our Archives?

Fri, 29 Jan 10 12:20:00

The quandry isn’t so much, who will be here in a hundred years time, but what? That's the big question which is of growing concern to many people in the field of archiving and libraries as they worry that many interesting and important works by authors and writers will go missing for ever as more and more writers use computers and emails as part of their everyday routine.

In a lecture on 3 February 2010, Ifor ap Dafydd, Development Officer for the Welsh Literature Archive Project at National Library of Wales, will discuss the experiences of many writers as they go about creating and maintaining their work on computer and on paper. Information and work kept in digital format is on the increase annually as more and more of us create files, digital pictures and websites, but these works may not stand the test of time, and may not be as long-lasting as the old fashioned paper and ink.

'It’s still possible to see ancient medieval manuscripts at the National Library such as the Hengwrt Chaucer or the Book of Taliesin, and of course more recent material such as the earliest copy of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, or Dylan Thomas’s map of Llarregub for Under Milk Wood. However, we may not be so fortunate in the future when historians may wish to research collections from our age. In many respects, digital material require more care. We can not afford to leave the old computer files, hoping that they will work in the future, as technology changes so quickly. We must act now before collections are lost.

 

Since 2008 Ifor has been encouraging authors to think about the way they keep and safeguard their work on computer, so that the nation’s heritage won’t be poorer in future. Interestingly, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the modern press died on 3 February 1468, and it may be the ease of use of modern technology and the computer keyboard, as today’s authors press the ‘delete’ button, or files become forgotten, that will endanger the archives of the future.

 

'Seeing the thought process of a writer and the development of their work is becoming increasingly difficult as writers can now delete their mistakes or improve their drafts on the computer rather than with the ink pen. The ‘evidence’ almost dissappears in front of our eyes. And likewise deciding which interpretation is the ‘original version’ is also harder now too, as writers can keep any number of different versions as there’s more than enough memory space on the computer!

There is also the threat that writers don’t look after their correspondence now as much as they used to, as so many are in the form of emails rather than the traditional letters. Although people rely heavily on their email, and value it greatly, it’s very rare that authors backup its contents safely.

But the internet can also be of great benefit as it allows us to share with others the richness of our collections. The Library already archives the websites of some 20 writers – something which wasn’t required until recently, but it gives another dimension to how archives will look in the future,' explains Ifor.

 

Links

• Memory - Welsh Literature Archive Project website
• Modern Literary Archives at the National Library website

 

Ifor ap Dafydd

‘Literature and Computers’

Lunchtime Lecture at the Drwm

The National Library of Wales

Aberystwyth

 

13:15

Wednesday 3 February 2010

 

Free admission by ticket from the Library Shop, by phone or reserve your tickets online.

 

Further information

Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902  post@llgc.org.uk