Sonia Zjawinski
Culture

British Library Puts Public's Emails on The Shelves

“E-mail is the first major upheaval in written English since the invention of the printing press,” Jonnie Robinson, a sociolinguistic and education specialist at the British Library told the New York Times. As part of a new project called “Email Britain,” for the next month the British Library, with help from Microsoft, will collect emails […]

"E-mail is the first major upheaval in written English since the invention of the printing press,” Jonnie Robinson, a sociolinguistic and education specialist at the British Library told the New York Times. As part of a new project called "Email Britain," for the next month the British Library, with help from Microsoft, will collect emails ordinary Britons and others have sent — 13,807 so far — as a way of capturing a sense of life in the 21st century.

"We’re looking at it as an electronic time capsule — for social historians it’s going to be an incredibly rich resource.” (For Microsoft, meanwhile, it serves as promotion for its new Windows Live Hotmail program.)

As the project’s Web site (newhotmail.co.uk/emailbritain) explains, the library wants “memorable or significant e-mail” messages that fall into 10 categories: blunders, life-changing e-mails, complaints, spam, love and romance, humor, everyday e-mails, news, world around you and tales from abroad.

Sometimes the messages detail the indignities of daily life:

“HAHA the temp in reception got fired after sending this,” reads one.

“To: All Users

Subject: The person who ate my muffin!!!

It would have been better if U asked for one of my muffins, instead of just taking it without permission.”...
...As for complaints, this note was sent to a restaurant:

“I really really really ridiculously enjoy eating chicken and bacon sandwiches. They are, in my mind, the very pinnacle of humanity’s pursuit for culinary perfection. Unfortunately however, a Chicken and Bacon and Salad sandwich that I purchased today from your Brighton store, not only was an insult to man’s greatest edible achievement, but also taints your own brands impeccable reputation for excellence and customer satisfaction.”