One of my areas of particular interest is in digital objects of record. In my experience, people's first and some times only thoughts of digital records are of working files - things used to create analog items - rather than being the original object. As an archivist, this drives me nuts. I am eager to change this perception wherever I find it.
When you look up definitions of 'digitize,' consistently the gist of what comes back is to create a digital rendition of a non-digital object. What, then, of objects which are born and live in the digital realm.
As custodians and users of cultural heritage objects, scientific data, and official records, I am convinced that our concept of digital material needs to be expanded to encompass this segment of the digital world. I believe this is a necessary distinction that will help increase people's desire these objects of record with the same care and attention as we give to non-digital material.
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I agree. There seems to be an artifical dichotomy between born digital materials and those produced through the process of digitization, which is not serving us well. Digital curation is concerned with management and preservation of digital materials regardless of how they were created.
Posted by Stephanie Smith
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