Hearing about the Jack Hawkes Archive, Professor Adi Damania bemoans the fate of another giant’s papers:
Jack R. Harlan’s papers … are scattered between his students, sons, and admirers here at University of California, Davis. His papers have survived a boat sinking in New Orleans harbor and the Katrina floods. We are seeking funds to do a biography.
What will happen when someone’s papers are just bits? Will they be easier or harder to assemble?