PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOCUSES ON LINCOLN'S RETURN TO CAMPAIGNING

[Rob Wick]

Anita,

My concern stems from the fact that NARA has permission to destroy original documents that they digitize. Obviously, they can't destroy another archive's property, but nothing stops them from destroying their own. Don't think it will happen? Civil War service records were microfilmed and then the paper records were all destroyed. Everton Conger's brother Seymour's records are out of focus and are forever impossible to read. How many other records suffered the same fate?

One of the "selling points" for digitization (which was said for microfilm) is that it removes space limitations. What happens when the digital process is corrupted by time or some other future unknown issue? Don't misunderstand me. I'm in favor of digitization (Tarbell's papers at Allegheny were digitized from the microfilm although the originals were kept), but I think something of such historical value needs to be kept in whatever formats assure it's survival.

Best
Rob