The long hold: Storing data at the National Archives

A description of the information collection and storage needs of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is presented. The unique situation of NARA is detailed. Two aspects which make the issue of obsolescence especially complex and costly are dealing with incoherent data and satisfying unknown and unknowable requirements. The data is incoherent because it comes from a wide range of independent sources, covers unrelated subjects, and is organized and encoded in ways that are not only not controlled but often unknown until received. NARA's mission to preserve and provide access to records with enduring value makes NARA, in effect, the agent of future generations. NARA's responsibility to the future places itself is a perpetual quandary of devotion to serving needs which are unknown