Subject to the resolution of certain problems, digital scanning technology offers a cost effective adjunct or alternative to microfilm preservation. In spite of the advantages of digital methods in providing high quality print facsimiles, improved access, and an economic alternative, some problems remain to be resolved before digital technology can fully compete with the preservation advantages of microfilm as an archival medium. In particular, the obsolescence associated with rapidly changing technologies causes concern that scanned digital images may not remain accessible over time. Furthermore, although this study's experiments suggest that digital images can, with no further loss of fidelity, be written to microfilm for archival backup purposes, the resolution used in the process does not match current preservation microfilm standards for material printed in typefaces below four point. Because of the potential advantages of digital formats for access, however, it is important to pursue approaches that can resolve these issues.
Digital technology has the potential to enhance access to library materials.
Digital images may be transmitted over communications networks for use at remote locations. The Joint Study demonstrated the feasibility of such remote access through the delivery of digital images over the Cornell network for printing and for viewing on a prototype workstation. With network access, researchers will ultimately be able to use the resources of a library at any time from across the campus or across the country. As has been noted by many observers, access will no longer be defined geographically or temporally. It has also been noted that digital technology could spur the library to shift further along the continuum from physical ownership of materials to providing access to information regardless of its location.