Final answer:
Most records today are digitally stored, with music CDs being a common example where data is encoded using tiny pits read by lasers. Despite this, libraries maintain archives with hard copies and special collections that include various historical artifacts. Transitioning from physical to digital formats has impacted many fields, including music, photography, and research.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most records now are digitally stored but some may still be found as hard copy or in a miniaturized form. This transition from physical formats to digital media has been evident in multiple areas. For instance, music CDs, which store information digitally on a spiral track through tiny, accurately spaced pits created by a laser, began replacing cassette tapes in the 1990s. CDs and DVDs have a much larger information-storage capacity than vinyl records or audio and video cassette tapes. An entire encyclopedia, for example, can be conserved on a single CD. These records are accessed by using an inexpensive solid-state infrared laser to read the digital information as the CD spins.
However, despite the prevalence of digital storage, many libraries retain archives of historical objects including hard copy manuscripts, rare books, historical photographs, maps, and more. Special collections may include memorabilia or community histories that are maintained in their original, physical form. Similarly, the publishing industry has seen a shift towards electronic books, yet physical books remain an essential medium of information transmission.
Moreover, photographs once involved a chemical record on glass plates, but today, images are generally captured with digital sensors and stored electronically. Even astronomical research, which once relied heavily on the physical use of telescopes, is now conducted using digital recording of images for detailed studies.