So, who saves all this stuff anyway?

To better understand the preservation of information it seems logical to ask "Who does save all of this information?" Not all information is saved by all people or organizations. Different preservers of information save different information depending on a number of different reasons. For example; many individuals save personal or family related information, many special interest groups save information related to their special interest, and many libraries, archives, and museums save information on a lager and more diverse scale. Lets examine briefly these different entities that preserve information to get a better idea of who each of these groups really are.

Individuals:

There are innumerable individuals collecting pieces of information that they find valuable - and you may be one of them (I know I am), but to what extent do individuals preserve information? Most people have personal records like birth certificates, family photographs, passports, diplomas, and such, but what other sorts of information do people preserve? Some individuals preserve great collections of events, places, or things that interest them, such as the George Fisher collection of political cartoons that was donated to the University of Arkansas library (Simpson 2004). These preserved collections can present a detailed view of something that would otherwise be lost to history, as in this particular instance where personal correspondence was part of the collection.


Special Interest groups:

In this ever-growing Internet-based world, many different groups of people have formed around a common interest online, and in doing so have collectively built a body of information to be preserved for their use and in many cases that of others who share their interests. While these groups tend to focus on a specific subject they can be invaluable resources for preserving information on that one subject (Wilson & Peterson, 2002).


Libraries, Museums, and Government Institutions:

While there are various organizations that fall into these three categories, each of them have a somewhat different approach to the preservation of information, ranging from public libraries and community museums, which sometimes preserve collections of local interest, to the National Archives of various countries which preserve information gathered from all over the country they represent.

These groups represent a much larger body of information than any single holding, and because some of these organizations preserve a broad variety of information in little depth (macro scale) while others have a tighter focus of subject but in greater depth (micro scale), combined they achieve a more complete preservation of information.


Suggested Further Reading:

The Internet Archive F.A.Q.

Preserving Government and Political Information: The Web at Risk


works cited:

Simpson, E C. (2004). George Fisher Collection Donated to the University Libraries. Arkansas libraries, 61(1), 7-8.

Wilson, S.M, & Peterson, L.C. (2002). THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF ONLINE COMMUNITIES. Annual review of anthropology, 31(1), 449-.