Memory Hierarchies as a Metaphor for Academic Library Collections
Stuart Yeates · 2001
Research libraries and their collections are a cornerstone of the academic tradition, representing 2000 years of development of the Western Civilization; they make written history widely accessible at low cost. Computer memories are a range of physical devices used for storing digital information that have undergone much formal study over 40 years and are well understood. This paper draws parallels between the organisation of research collections and computer memories, in particular examining their hierarchical structure, and examines the implication for digital libraries.