I find that many archivists are in the profession for that very reason -
they love the look, smell and feel of the original paper and hold fast
to some mystical belief that reading the original is superior to reading
a digital representation on a screen. Sure it takes the romance out of
it.
I can handle and manage the digital much better than the analog paper.
I'll take the information please, straight up - hold the paper.
Raymond K. Cunningham, Jr. CRM, CA
Manager of Records Services
University of Illinois Foundation
Urbana IL 61801
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Chris Browne
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 1:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Knowledge management [Was Re: [RM] RAINdrip: Wonder if
reading through 25 year old e-mails wil
From the perspective of a historian, this has been a great discussion.
While I would enjoy reading the text and a looking at a picture of a 700
year old copy of the Magna Carta online, it would be a whole different
'sensory experience' to see a copy in person in the British Library, and
to be able to feel it and smell it.
I liken it to another pastime of mine - as a baseball fan, I'll watch
any game I can find on cable, but going to a major league park and
experiencing the same game is entirely different from a sensory
perspective. The experience is enhanced by the anticipation of the
event, the sights and sounds, smells, history and proximity, etc. While
I might enjoy an email sent from my grandma, I might enjoy it that much
more if I had the same text handwritten on a piece of Garfield
stationary, complete with motherly smells and smiley faces.
It has been said here that paper and electronic media must coexist. I
totally agree, as each generally serves a clear purpose. One cannot
replace the other (at least not completely.)
Hope everyone had a safe Independence Day!
Chris Browne
**********************
Russell, I agree when they're trying to get the tactile/sensory point
across,for example in a novel, and are making a conscious effort to do
so.
Not so with grandma's letters - you truly feel/sense the memories from
the handwriting, sensory environment that the letter was written. Just
went through the same exercise with some old stuff from my mother-in-law
and there was nothing about the conscious writing style that brought the
flood of memories . It was the touch,feel,smell of handling the
material
and the personal handwriting.
Steve Petersen CRM
Records Manager
Rockwell Collins Inc
319.295.5244
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