| Title | The Economics of Long-Term Digital Storage |
| Publication Type | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication | 2012 |
| Authors | Rosenthal, David S. H., Rosenthal Daniel C., Miller Ethan L., Adams Ian F., Storer Mark W., and Zadok Erez |
| Conference Name | The Memory of the World in the Digital Age: Digitization and Preservation |
| Date Published | 09/2012 |
| Publisher | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |
| Conference Location | Vancouver, Canada |
| Abstract | Paper as the medium for the world’s memory has one great advantage; it survives benign neglect well. Bits, on the other hand, need continual care, and thus a con- tinual flow of money. A Blue Ribbon panel described economic sustainability as the major issue facing long- term digital preservation. This is despite Kryder’s Law, the 30-year history of the cost of digital storage media dropping exponentially. If economics are the major con- cern even when Kryder’s Law holds, what will happen if it slows or stops? We present evidence that it will, and some simulations of the impact on digital preservation costs. |
| URL | http://www.fsl.cs.stonybrook.edu/docs/unesco12/UNESCO2012-storage-econ.pdf |
