[log in to unmask] wrote:

> Unless this material is put online, where it can be accessed, copied, and 
> preserved in some way by the one person in a million who has some interest in it, 
> it will disappear from the historical record in a decade or so. Only one in a 
> hundred million is likely to make a cross continent trip to use the material 
> in that time. (This reflects the current use of the facility by the 300+ 
> million people on this continent.)

With respect, I question that narrow perception.

There are stages between being closed to all but visiting scholars and 
being open to all via the Internet. Indeed, it was in seeking such an 
intermediate that I came up with the idea for the Audio Encyclopedia 
which may be considered an audio catalogue (in the sense of a catalogue 
of an art exhibit).

Of course, any such effort is handicapped by technical and (especially) 
rights issues which must be taken into account when defining the mode of 
access and the risks associated with it.

Mike
-- 
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http://www.mrichter.com/