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Michael
R. Carlson In 1992 and as a result of a technical assessment study, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) began storing its electronic records holdings on 3480-class tape cartridges. Since that time both file sizes and the capacity of the tapes on which they may be stored have increased and now may exceed the 200-megabyte capacity of 3480 tape cartridges. In October 2001, NARA funded a study of the life expectancy and stability of three examples of high-capacity magnetic tape: 3590-class tape cartridges, DLT IV, and Super DLT magnetic tapes. The seven-month study will evaluate and compare the life expectancies of the media, assess tape drive and media compatibility over multiple generations of tape drive systems, and evaluate and select the most suitable high-capacity magnetic media for archival preservation of electronic records at NARA. The presentation will share with participants some of the findings of the study. Michael R. Carlson |