By studying the history of the CD-ROM, a research team from the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH), research centre at the University of Luxembourg, will show how this technology, which peaked in the 1990s, had a lasting impact on digitalisation, media and interactivity, and more generally on culture, the arts, society and the economy.
The CD-ROM is a clear early example of the convergence between media and information technology, a key milestone in digital storage and a step on the path towards digitalisation. It enabled the widespread dissemination of large volumes of data and multimedia content, including software, games and educational resources. It changed the way information and entertainment were consumed and influenced both computer hardware and software markets. It was also an entry point for the general public to access the Web. The history of the CD-ROM perfectly illustrates not only the high hopes pinned on multimedia and digitalisation but also the shortening life cycles of innovation.
Although it has received less historiographical interest than other technological artefacts, Professor Valérie Schafer , PI of the project, wishes to explore this "missing link" by adopting a comprehensive historical approach that considers the CD-ROM as both a storage tool and an entire branch of digital culture. Studying the CD-ROM in the broader context of storage history and mediated interactions will shed new light on the dynamics of innovation and the history of digital technology before the development of the Web.
Research into the CD-ROM intersects with a variety of fields such as media history, digital studies, the history of digital technology and media archaeology. It will draw on a wide range of sources including born-digital heritage, as many CD-ROMs have been preserved in national libraries and by the Internet Archive. The project will combine a general narrative with detailed case studies on specific types of CD-ROM, such as those used in office environments, shareware and video games. This approach will enable a scalable reading of the history of the CD-ROM, entwining macro and micro perspectives and including case studies related to Luxembourg.
The historical approach is complemented by media archaeology and aims to contribute to public history. Indeed, "dead" technologies raise issues related to heritage, memory and imaginaries. Technological re-enactment and a public exhibition will offer complementary perspectives on past media practices, the role of design and graphical user interfaces.
The research, supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), will enhance our understanding of media genealogies and pathways to digitalisation by shining a light on a technology that was pivotal in the evolution towards today’s digital world.
