The British Libraryis
collaborating withMicrosoft’s new
Windows Live Hotmailservice to create the
first everarchive of
British e-mails.
The "E-mail Britain" campaign, which will run throughout May,
asks the British public to make e-mail history by
forwarding a
memorable or significant e-mail from their sent mail or
inbox.
The messages will be included in a digital archive that will be
stored at the British Library for future generations.
The library said the E-mail Britain collection of real-life
e-mails will provide an important snapshot of British life over
e-mail to produce a unique social history catalogue of life and
culture in Britain today.
John Tuck, head of
British Collections
at the British Library, said, “E-mail has in many respects
replaced traditional forms of communications such as letters or
memoranda, thousands of examples of which we have at the British
Library.
“
Digital archiving of e-mail has never been attempted before on
this scale and we are very excited to be capturing such a rich
slice of contemporary life,” said Tuck.
Jo Wickremasinghe,
Windows Live
Hotmail spokesperson, said, “We want to capture the biggest
possible cross-section of e-mailing life in the E-mail Britain
archive, and we urge people to dig out their best e-mails and pass
them on for everyone to enjoy.”
The e-mails are to arranged under the following categories,
which should be typed into the subject box of the e-mail: Blunders,
Life Changing E-mails, Complaints, Spam, Love and Romance, Humour,
Everyday E-mails, News, World Around You, Tales from Abroad.
Microsoft is managing the submission process and will sift out
any e-mails deemed to contain unsuitable content.
Contribute to the
E-mail Britain archive >>
Mark Oliver blog: are e-mails worth archiving? >>
Comment on this article:
computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk