In those cases, the collecting institution can make a decision about how valuable the item is likely to be in the future, when an immediate demand for the item no longer exists. No matter how the preservation selection and action occur, in the analog realm we choose what to preserve well after items have been created, authenticated, and valorized through publishing or, in the case of archives, during appraisal. In the digital world, however, the act of selecting for preservation has become a process of constant reselection. We have to intervene continually to keep digital files alive. We cannot put a digital file on a shelf and decide later about preservation intervention.
Storage means active intervention.
One must refresh data regularly to keep it alive. We do not lose books just because we do not use them, but it is possible to lose digital data just because no one wants access to it within a year or two of its creation. Indeed, many are saying that the preservation of digital data should begin at time of creation. The creator should make all decisions about file format, software and hardware, and even complexity of documentation, in light of the intended longevity of the object. This need to think prospectively about persistence introduces a strong element of intentionality among all actors in the drama of information creation, dissemination, and consumption that has implications for the meaning of authenticity.