>Public access of records on CD's precludes the fact that damage will occur.

Interesting article.  We have always avoided handing our various CDs to patrons
for this reason, preferring to use changers or running them from a hard disk.

I had hoped the article would address the issue of CD-R & RW longevity, which
is of some concern to those who want to use them as backup media.

Amy Lacefield at the Rochester Images project gave me these references after I
inquired what type of CD-Rs they used:

<http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Media/Longevity.html>

<http://www.macintouch.com/cdrfailure.html> (a long discussion of what makes
CD-Rs fail)

Rochester Images chose the Kodak CD-R Gold Ultima without the Kodak screen
print.  See <http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/cdr/cd.shtml>  I have seen a
200-pack of these at <http://www.buy.com> for $140.95, which isn't too bad.  A
600-dpi full-color scan of an 11" x 17" newspaper page will run a bit over 200
megabytes, so that pack would give you two sets of backups for 300 master
scans.

My newspaper image project is still in the experimental stages, so I am not
actually using CDs for storage yet.  What I have read so far indicates that you
should:

* Use high-quality CDs, not the ones from the local discount warehouse.

* Record at 2X rather than 12X, don't do anything else on the computer while
you're recording, and make sure your power is stable.

* Don't write on them or stick anything on them.  (The Gold Ultima discs have a
unique number for ID purposes)

* Use CDs with 650MB capacity rather than 700 or greater, because the higher-
capacity discs are stretching the standard.

* Use CD-Rs rather than CD-RW, as they are more stable.

It is encouraging to note that Kodak suggests you test their Gold Ultima discs
against their competitors by leaving them in the sun on the dashboard of your
hot car.  This suggests a certain amount of confidence. :-)

Although their projected lifespan is 100 years, I'll be happy if they last 10
or 20 so I can move them to the next format.  (Yes, I have floppies from the
early 80s and the equipment to read them. :-) )

Hope this helps someone.  I'd be interested in the experiences of anyone who is
using CDs for archival purposes.

Bob Sullivan                               [log in to unmask]
Schenectady County Public Library (NY)     http://www.scpl.org
Schenectady County USGenWeb Coordinator    http://www.schenectadyhistory.org