As part of its vast appeal of literary and historic treasure ( the Magna Carta , Leonardo da Vinci ’s notebook ) , theBritish Libraryowns some six million sound recordings , including significant theater production , famous voices ( like J.R.R. Tolkien ’s ) , and field recordings of extinct animals . Some of them see back to the earliest and most fragile days of recording applied science .
Now , as theTelegraphreports , the library is plunge an urgent run to digitalize and preserve its collection .
The sound of British history , from the voice of Florence Nightingale to the testimony of First World War soldier , could be lost evermore within the next 15 old age , the British Library has warned . Experts at the library claim significant and unique sources are at risk of go away .
Among its stores are recording ranging from the call of now - out birds , to 40 twelvemonth - worth of plays starring the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier and Peter O’Toole and the entire internal accumulation of music .
salt away in a range of data format , from cassette tape to wax cylinders , staff at the British Library have now warned time is running out to preserve them safely .
As you might suspect , it ai n’t gon na be chinchy ; an estimate $ 60 million will need to be raised .
Speaking to theTelegraph , the British Library ’s Will Prentice stress the urgency of the situation :
“ We run a real risk of losing part of our corporate computer storage , ” he said . “ sure sound or collection may become unplayable and we may turn a loss important parts of our inheritance . ”
Among the portion of the collection considered most at risk – due to the nature of storage or its importance to the nation – includes the national collection of euphony , recordings of local accents and dialects used to supervise the evolution of the English language and sounds of steam engine , coastal regions , factories , atmospheric condition and other environmental soundscapes .
The Telegraph has a choice of recording the in - progress preservation project has saved to escort ; they include a snipping of J.R.R. Tolkien chatting about betray for tobacco . you’re able to see ’ emhere .
Tolkien image viaBlastr .
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