Attractive features of the videodisc, a storage medium of digital and visual information, include large storage capacity, low cost, rapid access, and ease of duplication. Widespread adoption of the videodisc will be determined by availability of appropriate software and funding, and public demand and perceptions about its advantages over other…

A report by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group (May 1996) recommends a certification process for digital archives and calls for a legal authority to rescue digital files in danger of being lost. Reactions of the library, archival, and educational communities are reviewed and current actions being taken are…