Cambridge is the ideal setting for work around floppy disks to be situated as it has a rich history in the development of computers and technology. The BBC Micro, a popular microcomputer in the 1980s, was produced by Acorn Computers, based in Cambridge. It is also home to the Centre for Computing History , one of the main institutions focusing on the development of computer technology. Through Leontien’s work, imaging Cambridge University’s Library own collection of around 150 floppy disks, remarkable discoveries have been made, including the personal files of Stephen Hawking and abstract lists by English poet Nicholas Moore. Leontien is also getting ready to image disks formatted for the Lexitron machine, one of the earliest word processers.
As part of the project, a workshop with specialists will be held with the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC). This workshop will help feed into the resource which will include all gathered knowledge and information from the project’s interviews and experiments. The resource will then become accessible on the DPC’s website. Additionally, a public local engagement workshop will be held, this is an opportunity for attendees to bring along their own floppy disks for transfer and learn about the wider concerns around obsolete media.
Floppy disks are an important example of the significance of digital preservation and why it is needed to ensure a future for our digital heritage. This project will guarantee floppy disk knowledge is not lost for future generations to come.