Vanishing digital texts

Books, scientific journals and films which are published only on the internet could be lost unless a system to store the digital material in permanent form is put in place, said Lynne Brindley the chief executive of the British Library. ...

The BBC's £2.5m Domesday Project, a snapshot of Britain in 1986, is a prime example of the difficulties looming on the horizon if no universal, permanent method of digital storage is found and used. This project stored information and photographs on video discs but within a few years the system used to play them had become obsolete and the discs were rendered virtually useless. Academics have since had to develop software that will emulate the original BBC computer system to ensure its continued accessibility.

Legislation passed last year enshrined the principle that electronic and non-print publications should be deposited at the British Library in the same way as books, pamphlets, maps, printed music, journals and newspapers. However the changes to the Legal Deposit Act did not address the problem of the added costs entailed.

The Independent