In the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt, a great library burned. It was said by some to have held upwards of half a million papyrus scrolls—containing the knowledge of the ancient world from Persia to Greece. It is thought that the library was destroyed as an act of violence against the city of Alexandria and knowledge itself.
1,600 years in the future, Carl Sagan mourns the great loss of the library and solemnly warns his viewers: “We must never let it happen again.”
Now, in 2025, on the lower level of Dana Porter Library, a display board—framed by modern technology and ancient artifacts preserved in glass—asks students: “What is one thing you would choose to preserve for future generations?”
Imprint invites anyone with a bit of free time during this busy end-of-term period to visit the first floor of Dana Porter Library and explore Slow Fires—the Senior Honours Project of Knowledge Integration student Izz Kelly, mentored by History student Ian Milligan and Knowledge Integration student Rob Gorbet. Students can visit this exhibit until April 28.
The project examines society’s growing challenges with the preservation and access to information. Kelly begins by distinguishing some important terms: libraries collect published materials like books and movies for public use; archives collect unpublished materials, such as letters and government documents; and museums collect physical objects and curate information for public education.
The problem we face now, of course, is that these places are not necessarily physical anymore. More and more information is stored in the cloud or on servers that do not employ archivists or librarians. A vast amount of information exists solely in digital form, vulnerable to crashes or data wipes. This, combined with the rapid advancement of technology, significantly complicates the process of preserving and accessing information. Issues arise due to outdated software, obsolete hardware, and unfamiliar interfaces.
Without intervention, this could result in massive information loss and potentially lead to a modern dark age for humanity. Fortunately, non-profits like the Internet Archive are working to prevent this fate. Moreover, individuals can contribute by getting library cards, visiting local heritage sites, keeping physical copies of their favourite media, and supporting libraries and archives through donations.
