Keeping historical records in electronic form

Keeping historical records in electronic form

The advancement in science and technology has enabled historical information to be kept on electronic devices. Electronic devices include:

1. audio devices
2. DVDs
3. websites
4. webpages
5. discs

The information which is kept on electronic devices is called a soft record. Records such as:

1. pictures
2. drawings
3. remains of past or ancient tools
4. text and oral narratives can be kept on electronic devices.

These copies can later be deposited and kept in the:

1. national
2. regional
3. district
4. ward
5. village or private record offices

Advantages of keeping historical records in electronic form

There are several advantages of keeping historical records in electronic form. Some of these advantages are as follows:

1. Historical records, such as sounds, narratives, and photos which are kept on electronic devices, are available to the whole society in their original form;
2. Electronic storage devices can easily keep large amounts of information (soft copies) depending on the capacity of the devices and the technology used; and
3. It is easy for many people to access and share the historical information kept on the electronic storage device at the same time. For example, when information stored is shown on television, many people can easily watch it at the same time.

Challenges of keeping historical records in electronic form

There are several challenges of keeping records of historical events in electronic form. Some of these challenges are as follows:

1. Keeping such information needs highly specialised professionals in preserving records in electronic form. This also includes a careful selection of those storage devices;
2. Handling of electronic copies needs to comply with the conditions associated with those copies. For example, the copies are not supposed to be kept in dusty, humid, very hot or cold places;
3. If not well kept, soft records are easily damaged, thereby losing their quality; and
4. It is expensive to keep records in this way because other devices such as computers always require electricity.