"Archiving" e-journals

[Bob Smith - Concordia Theo. Seminary]

Dear Barbara:

On Fri, 12 Apr 1996, Barbara Stewart wrote:

> Back in the old days, and even up to the first half of the twentieth 
> century, there were a finite number of books, magazines, and other printed 
> materials to collect.  

Unfortunately, not all material of historical significance was preserved. 
I am a regional archivist for my church body. Only one in several dozen 
of the churches in my area have all their vital record books -- births, 
baptisms, deaths, etc. Much less minutes. Historic questions, many of 
which have a direct bearing on events among us, are poorly documented. 
And my fathers and mothers in the faith were compulsive about records! 
Much has crumbled to dust. I worry that material of similar importance 
will not even get to BE dust.

>    "You've got to face facts.  Much of what is out there on the Web, even 
> the ejournals, lists, etc.  can only be described as ephemera.  They are 
> NOT worth keeping for posterity.  We do not have the capability, nor the 
> resources to preserve most of this for posterity, much less keeping 
> archival records of say, the progression of a web site --how did it 
> appear on its first day, its 100th day, its last day?  

Yes, alot of material in every culture is not worth preserving. I agree 
that the electronic media, especially files from internet applications, 
are filled with light-weight material. But then there is:

* The first translation into english of an appeal that resulted in the 
founding of my 2.7 million member church body.

* The first report of the finding of Martin Luther's personal Bible, by 
the curator who studied it.

* Medical papers sketching the beginning, progress, results and finished 
analysis of new procedures.

Would we not curse the radio stations that broadcast Franklin Roosevelt's 
speech, asking for a delcaration of war against Japan, if they had erased it?

Some things are worth preserving and keeping archivally. I'd submit that 
juried web journals should have each page perserved.  Those that have 
charge of them have a moral responsibility to our society and their 
profession to save the best of their discipline.

> typewriters were invented, did we try to keep everybody's first solemn 
> attempts at pecking out a message? No! Trying to archive all of these 
> ejournals, lists, etc. is much the same.  In times of famine, every bean 
> is counted; in feast times we just say "there was plenty" and let it go 
> at that"

True! Not even the majority of what's produced has enduring value. Yet we 
do keep every District and Church Body newsletter, sample parish 
newsletters and sample bulletins. We want every record of milestones. We 
pass on candle dedication Sunday. My point, I guess, is that preservation 
is a serious issue and if librarians and archivists don't champion it, 
who will? It is worth the time to weigh the value of e-docs and preserve 
those that chronicle our times.

> 
> But will I listen to myself?  THAT'S the question! ;-)

*sigh* Maybe it's time to weed the list archive... *sigh*

> Happy Friday,

Sincerely,

Bob
   | Rev. Robert E. Smith      | Email: cosmithb at ash.palni.edu |
   | Public Services Librarian | Phone: (219) 452-2123         |
   | Concordia Theo. Seminary  | Ft. Wayne, Indiana            | 
   |       http://www.palni.edu/~cosmithb/concordia.html       |


> 
> -- 
> Barbara Stewart, Latin American  Cataloger
> W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
> Amherst, MA 01003
> (413)545-2728  Fax:(413)545-6494
> stew at library.umass.edu
> "Speaking for myself"
> 

   | Rev. Robert E. Smith      | Email: cosmithb at ash.palni.edu |
   | Public Services Librarian | Phone: (219) 452-2123         |
   | Concordia Theo. Seminary  | Ft. Wayne, Indiana            | 
   |       http://www.palni.edu/~cosmithb/concordia.html       |