We still have writings from ancient cultures, carved in stone. We have papyrus and parchment manuscripts – the Dead Sea Scrolls – dating back 2,000 years and more. But that Wordperfect document you saved in 1997 on floppy disc, can you read it now? Digital files are hard to archive in the long term not only because physical media corrupt – a CD you burnt in a PC fifteen years ago probably won’t be readable now – but because file formats and technologies change so rapidly.
To address the issue the British Library has launched a 2017- 2020 Digital Preservation Strategy. This realises the importance of preserving digital and online archives, digital books, magazines, newspapers and manuscripts, as well as social media content with the aim of keeping these materials available for future generations. If your writing is mainly digital it is well worth considering how you will keep your work, not just for the distant future, but for your own use in ten or twenty years’ time.
Find out more and read the strategy document at the British Library: http://writ.rs/digidatadump