MORE AND MORE scientific journal articles, books, and data are flowing into online archives and databases, potentially broadening access to the material for both scientists and the public. This trend raises issues such as who should have access to what material, what should be saved for the long haul, and how best to preserve the information. Without proper precautions, a disastrous loss of access to old data could occur. Just think how hard it is to find equipment to play an eight-track tape. Even accessing the data on a 5.25-inch floppy disk is problematic. Skip ahead a century or two, through multiple transformations in software and hardware, and you’ll get a sense of the nightmare bedeviling data preservationists. Other stakeholders are more concerned with providing current access. Google, for instance, is scanning the book collections of several major libraries so readers can view the books online and then buy or borrow them. The National Institutes ...