Digital Technology for Access and Storage

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) and the National Archives 
and Records Administration (NARA) recently took noteworthy steps 
in the deployment of digital technology.  On January 1, NAL, the 
largest agricultural library in the world, designated electronic 
information the preferred medium for library materials.  NAL's 
goal is to make its services and collections available in various 
electronic formats worldwide.

To achieve this goal, NAL has outlined a series of steps:  tie in 
to electronic networks worldwide to provide seamless access to 
information; shift and add resources to acquire, process, and make 
available electronic data; work closely with other world agencies 
and libraries to emphasize electronic information; and convert its 
own publications from print to electronic media.

Details of the NAL effort are contained in The Electronic 
Information Initiative:  Phase I Final Report:  A Key Success 
Factor in the NAL Strategic Plan.  Copies of the report are 
available via anonymous FTP at cliff.nalusda.gov in the directory 
/pub/elec.init as filename eii-rpt.txt.

In a change in policies concerning electronic media, NARA issued a 
new policy that accommodates CD-ROMs.  Until recently, NARA 
accepted permanent files from federal agencies only if they were 
on an accepted archival medium, that is, paper or photographic 
film.  The new policy reflects a partial shift in the preservation 
philosophy concerning electronic media.

NARA will now accept CD-ROM as a transfer medium of permanent 
federal agency records.  However, because of the lack of standards 
for archival quality of CD-ROMs, NARA will not accept CD-ROMs as a 
medium for permanent storage.  Once it receives permanent records 
on CD-ROM, NARA will copy them onto 3480 class magnetic tape 
cartridges for permanent storage.

The 3480 class magnetic tape cartridges have several special 
features which allow this system to be considered archival.  The 
tape drive was designed to read the tapes even after a loss of as 
much as 75% of their original signal output.  Although the tape 
system was designed to be very robust, long-term usability of the 
digitally stored information requires systematic maintenance and 
monitoring of data degradation, system component upgrade, eventual 
migration to newer technologies, and implementation of relevant 
information technology standards as they are developed.

Details of the new policy are found in NARA Bulletin 94-4,  Use of 
Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) Medium to Transfer Records 
to the National Archives.  For additional information, contact 
Fynette Eaton at (301) 713-6630.

Jutta Reed-Scott
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