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Digital Nomenclature



Dear listserv,

I was informed today that in the technological arena, the
term ARCHIVE refers to storage.   A saved digital object,
replete with metadata, is ARCHIVED.  Therefore, the term
ARCHIVE has two definitions; a) a stored digital object, b)
a digital record that has metadata enabling migration,
emulation, etc.  I have a very big problem with the first
definition! It seems that in the electronic world, what
archivists refer to as a record - the archival copy of a
document or digital object, is being incorrectly called an
archived object. It has not been archived, it has been
created and saved; stored.  The record is the uncompressed
file and that file can be archived.  If anyone out there
has run into this or agrees that the nomenclature that we
use to distinguish between types of
data/information/docoments needs to be followed in the
world, not just by archivists ( lest the term ARCHIVE is
devalued and distorted into an entirely different concept
which, according to the "techie" with whom I had an
argument, has already occurred) please speak up.
Likewise, if you disagree with me, please let me know that
too! I would like some clarity on this issue.

Thanks so much,

Jennifer Gunter
NHPRC Archival Administration Fellow
Special Collections
University of Virginia
Telephone: (804)924-0510
Fax: (804)924-4968

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