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ahi · 06-06-2009, 02:47 PM

The BEST archive format is caringly and manually prepared XML that encodes all relevant semantic and (where unique and significant) visual information about the source document.

That's (see here: Nationally Adopted XML eBook Format) what Hungary's National Széchényi Library seems to have already done with about a 10th of their 7000+ eBooks.

Short of that (and let's be serious--even I'm not crazy enough to put this much effort into 99.9% of my eBooks), ePub is the next best thing.

The weak link in archiving with ePub though is the conversion process. Check the source file, check the converted ePub, and if there are any mistakes or errors that cannot be fixed without the source file, you better address them manually. Even then, do not throw away the source file unless you are resigned to kicking yourself on account of having permanently degraded/lost information for 1 file out of 10 or 100. And, of course, it's not even the statistics of it that matters... but rather your personal valuation of the one book that came out a little worse. If it's your favourite book, and has since become generally unavailable as an eBook... you will have much reason to fume.

So, another vote for ePub + keeping the originals.

- Ahi

06-06-2009, 02:47 PM	#4
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,790 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	The BEST archive format is caringly and manually prepared XML that encodes all relevant semantic and (where unique and significant) visual information about the source document. That's (see here: Nationally Adopted XML eBook Format) what Hungary's National Széchényi Library seems to have already done with about a 10th of their 7000+ eBooks. Short of that (and let's be serious--even I'm not crazy enough to put this much effort into 99.9% of my eBooks), ePub is the next best thing. The weak link in archiving with ePub though is the conversion process. Check the source file, check the converted ePub, and if there are any mistakes or errors that cannot be fixed without the source file, you better address them manually. Even then, do not throw away the source file unless you are resigned to kicking yourself on account of having permanently degraded/lost information for 1 file out of 10 or 100. And, of course, it's not even the statistics of it that matters... but rather your personal valuation of the one book that came out a little worse. If it's your favourite book, and has since become generally unavailable as an eBook... you will have much reason to fume. So, another vote for ePub + keeping the originals. - Ahi