From Dear Abby on uExpress, tepid debate on the merits of saving diaries. I wish the archivist who responded had explained that diaries placed in repositories are usually restricted access or no access for a certain number of years, at the behest of the donor. As a semi-pro historian, with interests in women's, African American, and American Indian history, I know that certain folks are more likely to leave behind diaries or letters than to have profiles written about them in the paper or in books; more likely to keep a journal than publish a book.

Today, of course, blogs and e-mails are beginning to replace letters and diaries. Few people migrate their e-mails or save their websites. Will future historians have resources to sketch out daily life, concerns, opinion? As with any collection effort, will efforts to preserve the web include everyday people (across race, religion, etc.), or only cultural and news websites? (See this for more on "e-archiving.")