Scholars from around the country gathered at ASU to discuss how universities store data for future use.
The discussion was part of the fifth annual ECURE: The Preservation and Access for Electronic College and University Records conference. It began Monday at the Memorial Union and runs through Wednesday.
Robert Spindler, an ASU archivist and conference co-chair, said the conference covers a wide range of issues.
"We look at developments in information policy, how the legal and regulatory landscape is changing over time and how you implement those information policies," Spindler said.
This year's conference focuses on the ability to store college and university data, and to then be able to access it indefinitely.
Spindler said people who work with electronic storage know that it's not foolproof.
He added that there is a fear among university librarians that, as they rely only on electronic means to archive data, a problem could mean permanent loss of information.
"Here at ASU, I think we're a bit ahead our time, but other universities are just now taking steps to store their data electronically," Spindler said.
Spindler said that there is still a possibility of major information loss here.
Maggie Kimball, a librarian from Stanford University attending the ECURE conference for the second time, said she came to get new ideas to bring back to her institution.
"This conference is something that really just helps to get your creative juices flowing," she said. "It's just a chance to brainstorm with people that work with colleges and universities from around the country."
Monday's keynote speaker was David Sobel, general counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He spoke about electronic information privacy issues and the Patriot Act.
"The Patriot Act is very secretive and there are many things about the way information is obtained that is not available to the public," Sobel said. "I think it's important for a public debate on the Patriot Act because of the gravity of the situation."
Reach the reporter at jason.samuels@asu.edu.
