ABSTRACT
This chapter describes digital information in reasonably simple terms, looks at some impacts on libraries and archives, and explains why digital information presents preservation problems. It defines information per se, but digital information can be defined as information presented in digital form: in other words, information encoded in discrete bits (binary digits) recognizable by a computer. Most cultural-memory institutions dealing with documentary resources find that digital technology affects them in a number of ways that are particularly important to their preservation responsibilities. While digital preservation may appear to be principally about managing technical challenges, success probably depends as much on understanding and managing institutional and societal impacts. The interaction of hardware and software in accessing any digital object presents the preservation manager with choices that may enhance, misrepresent, or obliterate the intended meaning. Access to digital information depends on all components of an access system working together.
