Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:42:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tamar Lindsay <dicconf at yahoo.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Give Me That Old Time Technology!
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

--- On Mon, 8/23/10, Madeleine Yeh <myeh at wap.org> wrote:

> If we are putting up wish lists about archives how
> about going backwards too
> A)  Preserving paper technology with reports on
> Library of Congress activity

There are books about that... AIUI the LoC has
a chemical dip method to preserve fragile paper books.

> B)  Development of the book with hands on
> workshop crafts
> C)  How to make and bake your own clay tablet or
> writing in the Sumerian age.

Most Sumerian tablets weren't baked, as it was dry
enough to preserve them. Some were baked in house
fires.

> Truly it would be nice to see the electronic age and its
> various unreadable forms.
> I have tapes of old directories but not the machinery to
> read them.

Probably need the software as well.

> I still have some original 3.5 inch floppies and no idea
> how to look at them.

Program? A good word processing program ought to at least
read the directory; there are USB 3.5 floppy readers for
access to the floppy.

> I never really thought about different work processing
> programs, but how do picture and music programs last?

Music I imagine fails as fast as word programs.
Pictures are usually in something fairly common like
jpg etc, and there are picture programs that will
convert format (some loss as usual).  If you can get
it on screen, things like PaintShop or PhotoShop can
capture it in whatever modern format you want.

=Tamar
talk yes, do, no, alas.