A History of Information Storage and Retrieval

Foster Stockwell

ISBN 10: 0786437723 / ISBN 13: 9780786437726

Published by McFarland and Co Inc, US, 2007

About this Item

Throughout history, humans have sought ways not only to acquire but to preserve knowledge. From when to plant crops to who begat whom, even the earliest people worked to gather and store information. Today, computers and other technologies have almost completely changed the world of information access and storage. This history traces the development of knowledge-collecting from early humans, whose minds served as repositories of culture and lore, through the first libraries and encyclopedias, to the many advances of the twentieth century. Ironically it is with these latest advances that the preservation of knowledge has foundered. For example, CD-ROMs can last no doubt for decades--but the software programs that run them will not, because they are constantly being upgraded. Both well-known and obscure pieces of the information story are explored in this work. From Diderot's encyclopedia, to anonymous librarians of the ancient world, the people who created information storage systems and the systems themselves are all presented. Fully indexed.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780786437726

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A History of Information Storage and Retrieval
• Publisher: McFarland and Co Inc, US
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786437723
• ISBN 13: 9780786437726
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 298 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Throughout history, humans have sought ways not only to acquire but to preserve knowledge. From when to plant crops to who begat whom, even the earliest people worked to gather and store information. Today, computers and other technologies have almost completely changed the world of information access and storage. This history traces the development of knowledge-collecting from early humans, whose minds served as repositories of culture and lore, through the first libraries and encyclopedias, to the many advances of the twentieth century. Ironically it is with these latest advances that the preservation of knowledge has foundered. For example, CD-ROMs can last no doubt for decades--but the software programs that run them will not, because they are constantly being upgraded. Both well-known and obscure pieces of the information story are explored in this work. From Diderot's encyclopedia, to anonymous librarians of the ancient world, the people who created information storage systems and the systems themselves are all presented. Fully indexed.

About the Author

The late Foster Stockwell was a publishing consultant for Chinese publishers and authors. He lived in Des Moines, Washington.