{"id":2445,"date":"2021-06-11T13:46:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T13:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/?p=2445"},"modified":"2021-06-11T13:46:45","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T13:46:45","slug":"keeping-your-bits-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/2021\/06\/11\/keeping-your-bits-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Your Bits Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have records in our archive from 1900s, 1800s, 1700s and even as far back as 965 AD, over 1000 years old. These records are stored in our strong room and will be safely preserved there for many years to come. Interestingly, it is items which were created in the 21st<\/sup> Century which are at a much greater risk. Digital records are complex and more vulnerable to loss, corruption, or obsolescence than paper.<\/p>\n

At the Dorset History centre, our Digital Preservation team are working hard ingesting records which are stored on digital objects such as floppy discs, hard drives and CDs to our digital repository. Digital objects which were once state of the art have become more troublesome to preserve as technology changes so quickly. The digital format which is most at risk is not the oldest or most obscure, it\u2019s the CD-R.<\/p>\n

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In 1988, Phillips and SONY developed the Compact Disc \u2013 Recordable (CD-R) as a digital optical disc storage format which allowed users to record their own media onto the discs. While CDs are deemed a low-risk item, the CD-R is the highest risk object in our digital collection which is why we\u2019ve made them our top priority. Even if stored in ideal conditions, CD-Rs will degrade quickly and have a lifespan of just 10 years. Unlike regular compact discs, CD-R have an internal layer of dye used to write and store data. Over time the dye can degrade, causing data to become unreadable. Stickers and permanent pens are often used to label the contents of CD-R which can cause additional problems. If stickers are too heavy or applied off centre this can cause excess vibration of the disc and the solvents from permanent pens can affect the dye layer.<\/p>\n

While we take care of our digital collections, here are a few handy tips and tricks to help you care for your own personal collection at home. These tips will work for a lot of formats you may have in your own personal archive including vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes. If stored correctly, we can expect our collections to last for many years to come!<\/p>\n

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