Digital archiving: digital optical disk research unit sounds the alarm again
A vast amount of information - in scientific, medical, administrative and artistic fields, among many others - is now archived on digital media.
Two recent articles* warn once again of the dangers we face if important data is archived on digital media with a relatively short lifetime. The articles are based on studies carried out by the digital optical disk research unit (GIS-DON, a Scientific Interest Group formed in 2004).
This research unit brings together four bodies** which carry out research aimed at improving the conservation of data recorded on digital optical disks, identifying stable e-archiving solutions and advising all parties concerned - heritage bodies, government departments, disk manufacturers and users - in their choice of media and the optimum conditions of use. The research unit thus contributes directly towards ensuring that precious archives are safely conserved.
Our page Research unit studying data storage on digital optical disks gives full details of the unit and its member laboratories, the research programme, the studies already completed, and contacts.
* "Documents numériques : attention, fragiles !" (Warning - digital documents are fragile!), Franck Laloë, chairman of GIS-DON research unit, Pour la science, no. 361, November 2007.
Quelle est la durée de vie des CD et des DVD? (What is the lifetime of CDs and DVDs?), Jacques Perdereau, head of LNE multimedia R&D unit, Jacques Raby, CEA-LETI-Minatec, and members of GIS-DON research unit, La Recherche, no. 414, December 2007
- ** - LAM (Laboratory of Musical Acoustics - The Musical Instrument and Acoustics unit of the Jean Le Rond d'Alembert Institute) a research unit run by the National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS), Pierre et Marie Curie University (Paris VI) and the French Ministry of Culture and Communication
- - CEA-LETI (Information Technology Electronics Laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission)
- - LPMM (Laboratory of Molecular and Macromolecular Photochemistry) run by the CNRS and Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand
- - LNE (National Metrology and Testing Laboratory)
