Ebook archive in case of the apocalypse?

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by dsvick

Of course if the "event" is the sun going nova all bets are off

I hope I don't have sun-fade issues if that happens.

[GeoffC]

you mean it might go dark !

[eric11210]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

The British Library and other Countries' Institutions may become increasingly electronic-minded and hence have storage/backup facilities/plans. The British Library has been slowly increasing its catalogue over the years; and then, of course, there is Google !

Actually, the library of congress also keeps a record of virtually every book, musical recording and video recording ever made. There are of course exceptions, but it is the modern day version of the Library of Alexandria. I also imagine that, as with most other things, the American government has some kind of military bunkers where government could continue to function and where the world's knowledge is stored for future use. The United States tends to have been rich enough to have people in government who are actively paid to think about these kinds of disasters and to find ways to preserve the "important people" and knowledge. Not that it will do the rest of us any good. . .

Eric

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by eric11210

Actually, the library of congress also keeps a record of virtually every book, musical recording and video recording ever made. There are of course exceptions, but it is the modern day version of the Library of Alexandria. I also imagine that, as with most other things, the American government has some kind of military bunkers where government could continue to function and where the world's knowledge is stored for future use. The United States tends to have been rich enough to have people in government who are actively paid to think about these kinds of disasters and to find ways to preserve the "important people" and knowledge. Not that it will do the rest of us any good. . .

Eric

Let's just hope you're right, AND that the government has learned some lessons through the years. The fire in 1973 at the Archives in St. Louis destroyed 80% of Army service records for soldiers who got out 1912-1960:

St. Louis fire

I do think we've learned a little bit from it. I deal with present-day service records at work, and even though everything is archived electronically I advise my customers to keep multiple backups of those important documents.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by eric11210

Actually, the library of congress also keeps a record of virtually every book, musical recording and video recording ever made.

I doubt that. Like the Bibliothèque Nationale in France, I would assume they get a copy of everything that is published in the United States.

[mopping five]

I'm pretty sure we'll get electric light back by 3174.

After that, it shouldn't be long at all before we can recharge our Nooks.

(Does anyone remember the bitrot files would suffer after being passed around on usenet? I would hate for that to happen post-apocalypse)

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by mopping five

I'm pretty sure we'll get electric light back by 3174.

After that, it shouldn't be long at all before we can recharge our Nooks.

Yes, but then in the year of 3535, everything you think, do and say will be in the pill you took today.

Does anyone remember the bitrot files would suffer after being passed around on usenet? I would hate for that to happen post-apocalypse

The future will include PAR2 file...

[mrscoach]

This whole discussions was bringing to mind "A Canticle for Leibowitz", which I read for an English class in college many years ago. Thanks, mopping five, for bringing it up.

One main thing I remember from the book was how upset they were when they figured out they had wasted a LOT of blue ink for blueprints, because they were reversed because of an error in the process in the originals (or something like that). I've wondered if there would be a backlash on technology.