| Summary: | Optical storage technology has advanced to the point where one
can store megabytes and terabytes in a very small physical space. The use ofthis
form of mass electronic storage has the potential to affect the way archives
conserve, preserve, store and make accessible the records in their custody.
Thus, it is important for archivists to understand not only the technology, but the
implications of its use on traditional archival methods and practices.
This study provides a description of the technology, conservation
and preservation issues, and archival implications involved in the use of three
optical storage systems: WORMs, Rewritables, and Optical Tape. Some of the
technological, legal and archival problems associated with the use of these
sytems by archival programs or institutions are discussed, and a few case studies
involving the use of optical storage systems in archives are presented.
This thesis concludes that, while there are problems associated with
the use of optical storage systems as archival conservation and preservation
tools, the advantages presented by these systems outweigh their disadvantages.
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