PERSONAL ARCHIVING: STRIKING A BALANCE TO REACH THE PUBLIC: Poster - iPres 2010 - Vienna

Never have so many people documented so much about their lives. Digital technology has empowered individuals to build large, rich collections of photographs, videos, e-mail, documents and other information. But the ability to create digital content is far outstripping personal capacity to manage and keep it over time. Looking ahead over the next decade, it is possible to foresee two consequences for libraries and archives. The most obvious and certain is that digital accessions of personal materials will supplement, and eventually surpass, traditional analog materials. Another outcome is more subtle and speculative: people seeking trusted guidance about how best to manage their important digital items. Memory organizations are reasonable places for people to go in search of such guidance, and this presents an opportunity to provide a valuable—and highly visible—public service. The Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is undertaking a project to provide guidance aimed at the general public in connection with personal digital archiving. The project focuses on interacting with people through several different channels, including web-based written instructions, video productions, and social media. The Library is also exploring use of public events such as “Personal Archiving Day” to engage directly with people. In developing a strategy for this program, the Library has to balance professional practice with the need to clearly communicate with non-specialists in a Web 2.0 environment