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On Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 1:28 PM, Jonathan Rochkind <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Generally speaking, if you have to wonder about the value of something, > you > already have the answer.... ;) > > Kyle, I honestly am not sure which answer you are suggesting is the right > one in cases where you have to wonder! > What I was thinking was that it doesn't make sense to permanently commit resources without a specific reason -- i.e. if in doubt, throw it out :) > By temperament, most of us library professionals are inclined to want to > err on the side of "preservation" -- shouldn't we preserve it _just in > case_, because once gone it will be too late if someone needs it later? > Not necessarily. The only thing that distinguishes the Smithsonian Institution from a landfill is selection, organization, and presentation -- both are filled with old junk. The value libraries contribute is selecting and presenting things within meaningful contexts. If we just start keeping stuff, we're effectively a digital landfill filled with random junk -- and any good stuff we might have becomes much harder or even impossible to use. kyle