title: PERSONAL ARCHIVING: STRIKING A BALANCE TO  REACH THE PUBLIC
creators: William G. LeFurgy
abstract: Never have so many people documented so much about
  their lives. Digital technology has empowered
  individuals to build large, rich collections of
  photographs, videos, e-mail, documents and other
  information. But the ability to create digital content is
  far outstripping personal capacity to manage and keep it
  over time. Looking ahead over the next decade, it is
  possible to foresee two consequences for libraries and
  archives. The most obvious and certain is that digital
  accessions of personal materials will supplement, and
  eventually surpass, traditional analog materials. Another
  outcome is more subtle and speculative: people seeking
  trusted guidance about how best to manage their
  important digital items. Memory organizations are
  reasonable places for people to go in search of such
  guidance, and this presents an opportunity to provide a
  valuable—and highly visible—public service. The
  Library of Congress National Digital Information
  Infrastructure and Preservation Program is undertaking a
  project to provide guidance aimed at the general public
  in connection with personal digital archiving. The
  project focuses on interacting with people through
  several different channels, including web-based written
  instructions, video productions, and social media. The
  Library is also exploring use of public events such as
  “Personal Archiving Day” to engage directly with
  people. In developing a strategy for this program, the
  Library has to balance professional practice with the
  need to clearly communicate with non-specialists in a
  Web 2.0 environment.
keywords: vienna