One of the greatest uses of modern technology is the ability to create digital artifacts from archival documents. Archival documents are defined as “ information that serve as evidence of past events. They record information about past activities and act as memory aids that allow its users to recall and relive them or to re-communicate information about those events at some point in the future.” Archival documents are incredibly precious and interesting. They give us important information and keep us conscious of our past. However, it is so incredibly vital to transition these archives into digital artifacts. A digital artifact is defined as “an artifact that is of a digital nature or creation. For example, a gif is such an artifact. Digital artifact can be of any content types including text, audio, video, image, animation or a combination.” Digital material lives on and is stored for forever, whereas archives have the potential to be destroyed in some way or another. It is of the utmost importance that the archives be protected against any potential harm. Therefore, creating digital artifacts is one of the most productive uses of time and resources we have today.
Technology is so beneficial in many ways, however, its ability to create digital artifacts from archival documents is one of its best uses. As a society, we interact with textual material on the screen more than printed material. Therefore, having archives digitized is simply more practical for viewing purposes. Similarly, it seems that our physical and emotional relationships to our objects of study have changed in this digital age. People seem to be less connected to or emotionally invested in things that are digital. There is some type of barrier that comes along with viewing content digitally versus through printed text. While converting archival documents to digitized materials is superior for mass viewing, it does not supplant our need to view the physical originals. Anyone who is serious in studying the matter or understanding it more thoroughly should definitely still view the physical originals due to the innate differences in viewing. I think that digital mediums of viewing cannot replace those of physical nature. There is nothing like viewing something first hand. On the contrast, digital mediums can be helpful in pinpointing details of an archive that may have gone overlooked if otherwise been viewed in printed form. This said, I think that it is important to create online reading interfaces that can more closely approximate the experience of reading physical materials.
Creating digital artifacts from archival documents is a great aspect of many projects such as “Jane Austen’s Manuscripts”. The manuscripts of Austen’s are very important to preserve. Jane Austen’ work is classic and deserves to live on through the digitized form. “Many of the Austen manuscripts are frail; open and sustained access has long been impossible for conservation and location reasons. Digitization at this stage in their lives not only offers the opportunity for the virtual reunification of a key manuscript resource, it will also be accompanied by a record in as complete a form as possible of the conservation history and current material state of these manuscripts to assist their future conservation.” Austen’s work being digitized is a prime example of the importance of conserving works for the future.
Allison Butler is a sophomore at Bucknell University. She is from New York. She likes fashion and tennis.
