Now That Most Artifacts Are Digital, Software Experts Need to Play Archeologist

We remember our history through objects.

We see the Gutenberg Bible and recall the revolution of the printing press, we see the hand-scrawled lyrics of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and appreciate the Beatles sensation. But more and more our cultural artifacts are now digital, and they are built on top of obsolete software, websites, and operating systems. A notable author’s drafts may be written in an early word-processing program, an iconic building design is created in an architectural software program. Thus researchers are seeking new ways to preserve history by preserving old digital objects.

Yale University Library announced a $1 million project Feb. 13 to resurrect over 3,000 obsolete software applications used in the sciences, design, engineering, and music composition, among other fields. Funded by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon and the Alfred P. Sloan foundations, Yale seeks to make opening an old word-processing file as easy as opening a book.