List of Born-Digital Media

Owned by Monique Lassere (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Sept 12, 2022

Description: This list describes born-digital media formats curators, accessioning/processing staff might encounter in dealing with hybrid or born-digital collections. 

Media Format Types

  • Magnetic media: floppy disks (3.5-inch, 5-inch, 8-inch, Zip)
  • Optical media: CDs and DVDs, and sometimes Jaz disks
  • Internal/external (removable) drive storage: computers/laptops, external hard drives, memory and flash cards, USB thumb drives 
  • Networked data: data transferred over networks (web archives, email, Google Drive/Box/Dropbox files)
Media FormatDescriptionLabelling & StorageIssues to Note

Floppy disk (3.5-inch, 5-inch, 8-inch)


Floppy disks are a type of removable magnetic storage medium composed of thin magnetic disks in square plastic enclosures. Floppy disks come in three formats and sizes: 3.5", 5.25", and 8".

Labels should only be placed on the plastic enclosure that encases the magnetic disk.

Floppy disks should be stored upright in original casing. 


While floppy disks look sturdy due to their plastic enclosure, the magnetic disk where the data resides is quite fragile and should never be taken outside of its plastic enclosure. The magnetic disk is "shinier" than the plastic enclosure. 

If any residue exists on the magnetic disk, it must be cleaned and removed using a proper cleaning solution.

CDs and DVDs

CDs and DVDs are a type of optical disk composed of plastic. Lasers are used to read and write data to CDs and DVDs. The primary differences between the two lie in their sizes and manufacturing methods.

CDs and DVDs should be stored upright. They should be stored in their original plastic enclosures, assuming the original plastic enclosures are: intact, in stable condition, and do not contain any material or substances on the surface that will scratch or otherwise interact with the disk. CDs and DVDs without appropriate original plastic enclosures may be placed in archival-quality CD/DVD sleeves. 

While CDs and DVDs are still used today, the storage medium is prone to scratching and therefore, data loss. Data in a CD resides on the bottom, not the shiny top surface where the manufacturer or label may reside. The bottom is more prone to scratching than the top side of the medium.

Compact flash card

Compact flash cards are a type of flash memory mass storage device used primarily in portable devices. These are still popular today.

Compact flash cards are too small for printed labels. Please place in archival-quality envelope and place typed label on envelope. Place a handwritten label on any plastic 

Compact flash cards can be stored lying flat or upright. Limit movement in the container they are stored in by using foam. 


Small, easy to misplace or damage. 

Jaz disk

Image of a 2gb Jaz disk cartridge sitting on top of three Jaz disk cartridge cases. Label says, 'jaz 2GB. This disk for use with Jaz 2GB drive only. iomega 2GBmac'

Jaz disk is a removable hard disk storage systems sold by Iomega in the 90's and early 2000's.

Both the plastic enclosure (if applicable) and disk should be labelled.

Jaz disks should be stored upright in their original plastic enclosures assuming the original plastic enclosures are: intact, in stable condition, and do not contain any material or substances on the surface that will scratch or otherwise interact with the disk. 

Jaz disks are not well-used today but relatively durable due to their enclosure and storage system.

Zip disk

Zip disks are removable magnetic storage cartridges. They have 3 capacities: 100MB, 250MB, or 750MB.

Both the plastic enclosure (if applicable) and disk should be labelled.

Zip disks should be stored upright in their original plastic enclosures assuming the original plastic enclosures are: intact, in stable condition, and do not contain any material or substances on the surface that will scratch or otherwise interact with the disk. 


Zip disks are not well-used today.

Minidisc

Minidisc is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage devices that store audio.

Label plastic enclosure. 

Minidiscs should be stored upright in their original plastic enclosures assuming the original plastic enclosures are: intact, in stable condition, and do not contain any material or substances on the surface that will scratch or otherwise interact with the disk. 



SD Memory Card

SD memory card is a non-volatile memory card format for use in portable devices.SD Memory cards are too small to for typed labels. Place in archival-quality envelope and label envelope with typed Houghton label. Hand label SanDisk with handwritten Item Number. 


Today SD memory cards are still quite popular storage devices for digital cameras, personal computers, and mobile devices.

USB flash drive

A USB flash drive is a data storage device that includes flash memory with a USB interface.Place typed label on USB flash drive is possible. If not, make and place hand-written label on USB flash drive. 


USB flash drives are currently well-used and compatible with current computers.

Hard drives

Hard drives are computer storage devices. There are two types: hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state (SSD). Hard disk drives connect to a computer over certain connections, such as: ATA, SATA, SCSI, SAS, Fibre Channel, IEEE 1394, and USB. HDDs are electro-mechanical data storage devices that store and retrieve data using magnetic storage and a mechanical function (Wikipedia). SSDs are solid-state devices that use integrated circuit assembles to store data persistently, typically using flash memory (Wikipedia). 

If hard drive is enclosed, place label on hard drive case. 

If hard drive is not enclosed or is an internal hard drive, place in ESD-safe bag and label bag with typed label. 

Hard disk drives should be stored safely in their natural position (depends on hard drive), either lying flat or standing upright. No internal parts should be exposed. If hard drive is bare, place in ESD bag with flap. 

Both hard disk and solid-state disk drives are in well in use today. Both are quite fragile and efforts to reduce shock should be made during transport and use. We may receive internal hard drives, which lack a plastic enclosure, due to the fact that they once resided in a computing device of some sort. If a hard drive lacks a plastic enclosure or is internal, please place in an ESD-safe bag OR alert the Digital Archivist.

Computers and laptops




Networked data/file transfer


Networked data refers to data, files, or other digital objects that were created or exist in their current format only on networked (i.e. "cloud") storage. Networked data is typically only accessible through file transfer protocol (FTP) or some other file delivery method relying on network transfers for acquisition. Networked data is not "invisible", in the sense that it does have a physical presence and exists on media. However, a lot of networked data we interact with exists on some sort disk storage in server farms distributed across geographic locations.