Whenever the subject of eBooks comes up in a discussion inevitably someone mentions their love for the printed book and the hope that they will never go away. Everyday more and more books are created in an eBook form but will the digital copies of these books be around in 10 years? If history is any predictor the answer to that question depends on how well the digital copies are maintained over time and transferred to the latest and greatest storage formats to avoid being lost for all time.
I was reminded of this "data rot" this weekend as I ran across a reel-to-reel tape of my senior recital at music school some 30 years ago. I don't have the equipment to play it anymore, nor is the equipment readily at hand so I have no idea whether or not they are even salvageable at this point. But it is certain that if I don't take care of these soon they will be lost for good. Not a great loss mind you, but one I don't want to think about.
Storage formats come and go and in the electronic age those formats last about 10 years so efforts to keep eBooks around will become challenging. How is it that the books I have owned all of my life still survive? I remember a lecture from Library School that put forth the idea that printed books have proved to be the best storage format of all time. They are able to survive even fire. The edges of the pages might be charred however the text on the whole remains. Can this be said for any digital storage today? The printed book format has been enduring for hundreds of years. That's one format compared to over 10 eBook formats and the complimentary eBook devices I have owned over the years. Just as alarming is that I only have the latest Kindle copies of eBooks that I have purchased recently. All the other eBooks are lost forever.
I have always been excited and supportive of the digital transformation of books, but I don't think the printed book lovers have anything to worry about for awhile.
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