Destruction of Records

[Guy Etchells]

What is the feeling on the forum about the pending destruction of the paper version 1939 National Registration.

Due to the interest on the internet I have been re-reading the on line tender document for it and found the following.

“The National Archives will not retain the original material and the newly created digital record will become the definitive official record.”

Does the forum think the original paper version should be preserved or does the forum think it is safe to destroy the original now there is an electronic version available?

Cheers
Guy

[groom]

It is a bit worrying, as we all know how many mistakes have been found in transcriptions from the census etc. If the original is destroyed there would be no way of checking any queries. Surely space could be found in the Archives or elsewhere to store it?

[Josephine]

I think the original material should not be destroyed.

Digital formats may be rendered obsolete or lost (even extra copies can be lost or damaged) over time. There are far too many examples of this happening.

Regards,
Josephine

[Hampshire Lass]

Definitely not be destroyed. 

There must be some space available in TNA

[nanny jan]

Keep the original.

Always go back to primary source.

[Mean_genie]

The original records remain in the custody of HSCIC, they were not transferred to TNA, and they won't be. The original records were later added to, including sensitive coded medical information which will never be open to the public, and that is why the original books have to remain with the HSCIC. So you would have to ask them what they intend to do with them, and they are people to convince that they should be kept. I didn't see anything in the tender document about destroying them.

   

[relatedtoturnips]

What is the feeling on the forum about the pending destruction of the paper version 1939 National Registration.

Due to the interest on the internet I have been re-reading the on line tender document for it and found the following.

“The National Archives will not retain the original material and the newly created digital record will become the definitive official record.”

Does the forum think the original paper version should be preserved or does the forum think it is safe to destroy the original now there is an electronic version available?

Cheers
Guy

They certainly should not be destroyed. I wouldnt think they would be so stupid. But then again, brains are in short supply these days lol.

[coombs]

No dont destroy the original records. That is like locking the door after the horse has bolted.

[Redroger]

Though a digital scan should be OK many of the scans I have seen by the LDS amongst others leave much to be desired. Also, digital documents don't last for ever, and even if they did sooner or later through technical developments become inaccessible. Who for instance nowadays apart from old fogey idiots like myself have a floppy disk reader attached to their computer?