Margot Note's Blog, page 10

Understanding the Purpose of Archives

A fundamental aspect of creating an effective collection development policy for archives is understanding the purpose behind the institution’s archives. 

This understanding forms the foundation for all subsequent decisions and actions. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of understanding the purpose of the archives and how it influences the development and management of the collections.

Defining the Mission and Scope

The mission of the archives encapsulates its overarching goals and objectives. Consider articulating a clear, concise mission statement reflecting the institution’s unique identity and purpose. A well-defined mission statement provides a guiding light, ensuring all collection development efforts align with the archives’ core values and principles.

After establishing the mission, archivists should define the scope and focus of their holdings. Consider the types of materials that best support the mission. Are archivists primarily interested in preserving historical documents, photographs, audiovisual recordings, or digital files? Is the archives focused on a specific subject area, such as local history, art, or scientific research? Defining the scope and focus helps to streamline acquisition efforts and maintain a coherent and meaningful collection.

Identifying Audiences

Understanding the intended audience of the archives is crucial for tailoring the collections and services to their needs. Consider who will benefit from accessing the archives’ materials. Are archivists primarily serving scholars, researchers, students, or the general public? Archivists can design collection development strategies that cater to their interests, preferences, and research requirements by identifying the target audience.

Supporting Research 

Many archives have a solid educational and research component. Identify how the archives can contribute to scholarly pursuits, educational programs, and research initiatives. By aligning the collection development efforts with these goals, archivists can ensure that archives remain valuable for academic and intellectual pursuits. Consider partnering with educational institutions or collaborating with researchers to enhance the impact and relevance of the collections.

Archives often serve as custodians of local history and cultural heritage. Understanding the significance of the region’s history and culture allows archivists to prioritize acquiring materials that preserve and promote these valuable assets. Engage with local communities, historical societies, and cultural organizations to ensure that the archives accurately reflect and celebrate the unique heritage of the area it serves.

Promoting Engagement

Archives have the potential to be vibrant community centers, fostering a sense of connection and belonging. Explore opportunities to engage the local community through exhibitions, public programs, lectures, and workshops. By understanding the needs and interests of the community, archivists can shape collection development policies to include materials that resonate with and inspire the people they serve.

Understanding the archives’ purpose also involves acknowledging and addressing ethical considerations. Archives often encounter copyright, intellectual property rights, privacy, and cultural sensitivity issues. Develop guidelines and procedures that ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards while respecting the rights and interests of the individuals and communities represented in the collections.

The Archival North Star

Understanding the archives’ purpose is the first step in developing a comprehensive collection development policy. By defining the archives’ mission, determining the scope and focus, identifying the intended audience, and addressing ethical considerations, archivists lay the groundwork for informed decision-making. This understanding allows archivists to shape their collections to align with the archives’ core values and objectives, ensuring that the institution remains a vital resource for education, research, and community engagement.

An archives’ mission is to collect, organize, and provide access to primary sources that document and illuminate our past. Archives serve as guardians of society’s memory, safeguarding historical artifacts that offer unique insights into the human experience. By maintaining these treasures, archives facilitate research, foster scholarly inquiry, and promote a deeper understanding of collective heritage. The mission of an archives goes beyond mere preservation; it seeks to bridge the gap between past and present, enabling individuals to connect with their roots, unravel narratives, and gain a profound appreciation for the diverse stories that have shaped our world.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Archival Collection Development Policies

Collection development policies are crucial for archives as they provide a roadmap for acquiring, preserving, and managing historical materials. 

These policies outline the principles, criteria, and guidelines that shape the growth and maintenance of collections. Archivists follow several steps to create an effective collection development policy.

Understand the Purpose

Before drafting a policy, clearly defining the archives’ purpose and goals is essential. Consider the mission, scope, and intended audience of the institution. Determine the types of materials collected, such as documents, photographs, audiovisual recordings, or digital files, and identify subject areas or themes that align with the archives’ focus.

Identify Collection Development Objectives

Establish objectives that align with the archives’ purpose. Consider the educational, cultural, or research needs the collections should address. Objectives may include preserving local history, supporting scholarly research, or providing resources for community engagement. These objectives will shape the criteria for acquiring materials and guide the development of the policy.

Establish Selection Criteria 

Selection criteria are vital for assessing potential acquisitions. Define the characteristics that make materials eligible for inclusion. Consider historical significance, authenticity, relevance to the archives’ scope, condition, and legal and ethical considerations. Document these criteria to ensure consistent decision-making in the acquisition process.

Develop Acquisition Strategies

Acquisition strategies outline how the archives will acquire materials. These strategies may include direct donations, purchase agreements, partnerships with other institutions, or proactive collection development initiatives. Identify potential sources, such as individuals, organizations, or government agencies, and explore avenues for building relationships and collaborations to enhance the collection.

Processing and Access 

The collection development policy should address the processes involved in the acquisition, processing, and accessibility of materials. Outline the steps for receiving, cataloging, preserving, and digitizing items. Consider using metadata standards, storage requirements, and legal or ethical considerations, such as copyright and privacy concerns. Clearly define access policies, including any restrictions or conditions for accessing certain materials.

Preservation and Conservation

Preserving the long-term integrity of the collections is essential. Include guidelines for preservation and conservation activities. Consider environmental conditions, storage materials, digitization efforts, and disaster preparedness. Collaborate with conservation professionals and ensure regular assessments of the materials’ condition to prioritize conservation efforts effectively.

Review and Evaluation

Archivists should periodically review and update their collection development policy to adapt to changing needs and circumstances. Establish a regular review process to ensure the policy remains relevant and aligned with archival goals. Solicit feedback from staff, researchers, and stakeholders to identify areas of improvement and make necessary revisions.

Developing a Collection Development Policy

A collection management policy is of utmost importance for archives due to its vital role in preserving, organizing, and providing access to valuable historical records and artifacts. Such a policy is a comprehensive framework that guides the acquisition, appraisal, arrangement, and disposition of materials within an archives’ holdings. By establishing clear guidelines and standards, a collection management policy ensures that archives can effectively prioritize their limited resources, making informed decisions about what materials to collect, how to preserve them best, and how to provide equitable access to researchers and the public. Additionally, the policy helps maintain the integrity and authenticity of the archives’ collections, ensuring that they are documented, cataloged, and stored consistently and reliably. By adhering to a well-defined collection management policy, a repository can safeguard its holdings, promote transparency, and fulfill its crucial mission of preserving and sharing our cultural heritage for future generations.

Developing a collection development policy for archives is crucial in ensuring the growth, preservation, and accessibility of valuable materials. By understanding the purpose of the archives, setting clear objectives, establishing selection criteria, and outlining acquisition strategies, archivists can create a comprehensive policy that guides the institution’s decision-making processes. 

Documenting processing and access procedures, preservation guidelines, and incorporating regular reviews will ensure the policy remains dynamic and responsive to evolving needs. With a well-crafted collection development policy, the archives can build a robust and relevant collection that serves its mission and engages its audience effectively.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Digital Project Considerations

Over the years, I've directed or have been part of a number of digitization projects. With each new experience, I've gathered a series of questions, an aide-mémoire, to be explored before commencing a digitization initiative.

By asking these questions during the planning phase of your project, you save an incredible amount of time, money, and effort later on. Make sure that you and your team, as well as the executive sponsors and stakeholders of the project, are in agreement about these elements. 

These questions explore issues related to image-based collections, but you can easily apply them to other types of collections too. 

Audience

Who is the intended audience?

Are they specialists, general users, or both?

What are the needs of the users, and how can they be best served?

What will digitization enable them to do that is not possible with analog images?

Selection

Do the images reflect the institutional mission and collections policies?

What is the intellectual value of such images and their informational content?

What are the images that are most valuable for teaching and scholarship?

What images are used most frequently, and how are they used?

What images are unique to the institution?

Do the images have sufficient intrinsic value to ensure interest in their digital surrogates?

Will digitization significantly enhance access or increase use by an identifiable constituency?

How much of the collection is well documented?

What images are of highest monetary value?

What images are judged to be at highest risk and why?

Are there any restricted or sensitive images to be excluded?

Are the images well captioned?

Will the proposed scanning technique be able to capture the appearance of the item accurately?

Will disparate collections be unified?

Are the images duplicated well elsewhere?

Do the images selected accurate represent the collection’s strengths?

Is there a danger of over- or under-representing specific themes?

Physical Characteristics of Collections

How many items have to be digitized?

What are the formats of the collection?

What is the physical condition of the images?

How do the originals need to be handled during scanning to prevent damage?

Will the images be able to withstand handling during the scanning process?

What size are the images? Are they oversized?

Intellectual Property Rights and Legal and Cultural Considerations

Who will be responsible for evaluating the copyright status of selected images?

Who owns the rights to the images?

Are they in the public domain? If not, can permissions be secured?

Are there legal or cultural considerations to be addressed?

Are the images free from donor restrictions that would prevent them from being digitized or publicly accessed?

Funding

Who will be responsible for fundraising and grant writing?

What are the funding sources?

Who will manage budgets?

What parts of the project will funding support?

Are the costs in line with the anticipated value?

Are the costs of scanning and post-scan processing supportable?

What will it cost to maintain access into the future?

Technology

Is there sufficient technical infrastructure to create, manage, and deliver digital projects?

Does current technology yield image quality adequate to meet project goals?

What hardware is required to meet digitization needs?

What software is required to meet digitization needs?

Are there sufficient storage facilities to meet digitization needs?

Project Planning

What will be the short-term, immediate benefits of the project?

What are the long-term, strategic benefits of the project?

What are the expected outcomes of the project?

What is the intended workflow of the project?

Staffing

Does the institution have the necessary expertise and resources to plan and implement the project?

What skills, experience, or training will be required for each activity?

Who will oversee digitization initiatives?

What kind of staff are needed, and what will their responsibilities be?

What institutional support and leadership can they expect?

How will digitization affect staff roles and service at the institution?

Are staff levels and available skills appropriate to support the growing size and scope of the collections and access to these images by users?

Who will be responsible for each stage of digitization?

Who will write project documentation and progress reports?

Preparation

Will images be conserved before being scanned?

Will it be necessary to clean images prior to scanning?

Will images need to be encapsulated or de-encapsulated prior to scanning?

Will images need to be transported before digitization?

Digitization

Will the digitizing take place in-house or through a vendor?

What are the resolutions and bit depths needed?

Will the files be compressed?

Should the images be faithful reproductions or optimized for presentation?

How will copies of the images be stored?

Are there specific image guidelines specified by the funding source?

Will master and derivative files be created?

Quality Assessment

Is digitization complete? Are images missing?

Have the file naming conventions been adhered to?

Are the files named for the correct original images?

Have the images been captured in the correct mode (color or grayscale)?

Are the images in the correct format and, if appropriate, are the compression rates correct?

Are the resolutions and bit depths correct?

Are the tonal values and color balances correct?

Are the brightness and contrast settings correct?

Is there noticeable interference, noise, or artifacts?

Does the image accurately represent the qualities of the original?

Have the significant details been successfully reproduced?

Have the images been checked on a variety of monitors?

If printing is required, have the images been output to a variety of printers?

Description and Metadata

Who uses the images and how do they request photographs?

What are the most frequently requested subjects?

What type of description already exists for the collection?

At what level will the metadata be: item, collection, or both?

Is there sufficient metadata available to match perceived user needs and project aims?

What metadata or finding aid scheme will be used?

If there are several versions of an original, which version will be cataloged?

Is it possible to create metadata that satisfies both general and specialized users?

What level of granularity will most likely benefit users?

Are there other fields necessary as access points that might be of interest to users?

Will extensive research time be required to record even the minimal metadata requirements?

Is there enough information readily available about the images to provide a useful context to potential audiences?

Access

Will the images be linked to existing systems, or will it be necessary to develop a new access method for the images?

At what level will access be provided: item, collection, or both?

Will the images be accessible and deliverable online?

How will users locate the collections, items within the collections, and relevant subsets of the items?

How will images be viewed? One at a time or several together to facilitate comparisons?

Will zooming be required?

Will access be appropriately controlled?

Timeframe

What are the critical deadlines?

How long will each component of the project take?

What are the anticipated start and end dates?

Does the timeframe include the possibility of delays?

Collaboration and Outreach

Will the project have a collaborative component?

Is the collaboration local, national, or international?

Is there a community outreach component?

What will the instruction and end-user support be?

Content Management Systems

What new opportunities is the CMS intended to create?

How will institutional buy-in be ensured?

What is the cost-benefit ratio?

What is the anticipated impact of the CMS on organizational thinking about and use of digital content?

How will the CMS technology be integrated into existing systems?

What metadata will be required to support the application of CMS technology?

Evaluation

How will evaluation of the digital resources be undertaken?

What measures exist to demonstrate the project has succeeded?

How will user perceptions and expectations of the project be addressed?

Sustainability

How and where will be the archival images be stored?

What kind of backup mechanisms are in place in case of hardware or software failure?

What are the data migration and refreshment plans?

Is there demonstrable long-term support in place to maintain the project and ensure its longevity in the future?

Conducting Oral History Interviews

Oral history interviews are a powerful tool for capturing and preserving individual stories and experiences. 

They provide a unique opportunity to document the perspectives and insights of individuals who have lived through significant historical events or experienced social and cultural changes. The art of conducting oral history interviews includes some essential skills and techniques required to ensure a successful outcome.

Come Prepared

Preparation is key to conducting an effective oral history interview. Before the interview, the interviewer must identify the topic and scope of the interview, research the background and context of the interviewee, and prepare a set of questions to guide the conversation. The interviewer must also establish a comfortable and conducive setting for the interview and ensure that all necessary recording equipment is in place.

Once the interviewer has prepared the groundwork, the interview can begin. The interviewer should start by building rapport with the interviewee and establishing a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to put the interviewee at ease. Doing so helps to create a safe space for the interviewee to share their stories and experiences, allowing the interviewer to elicit deeper insights and emotions.

Being Fully Present

During the interview, the interviewer must use active listening skills to maintain engagement and encourage the interviewee to expand on their answers. The interviewer should be fully present, attentive, and responsive to the interviewee’s words and body language. The interviewer should avoid interrupting or dominating the conversation, allowing interviewees to express themselves freely and fully.

The interviewer must also be mindful of their language and tone, using straightforward, concise questions that avoid leading or judgmental language. Open-ended questions encouraging interviewees to reflect on their experiences and share their perspectives are often more effective than closed-ended questions requiring a simple yes or no response.

As the interview progresses, the interviewer must be flexible and responsive, adapting their approach to the interviewee’s needs and preferences. For example, some interviewees may be more reserved, while others may be more talkative and expressive. The interviewer must be attuned to these differences and adjust their questioning and listening style accordingly.

Being an Ethical Interviewer

Another important aspect of conducting oral history interviews is the ethical considerations involved. Interviewees must be fully informed of the purpose and scope of the discussion and give their informed consent to participate. They should also be able to withdraw from the interview or withhold any information they do not wish to share.

The interviewer must also consider the potential impact of the interview on the interviewee’s emotional well-being and ensure that appropriate support and resources are available if needed. Additionally, the interviewer must take steps to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the interviewee, ensuring that their personal information is not shared without their explicit consent.

Documenting the Experience

After the interview, the interviewer should review and transcribe the recording, accurately capturing the interviewee’s words and emotions. The interviewer should also consider whether follow-up questions or clarifications are necessary and communicate these to the interviewee.

Finally, the interviewer should ensure the interview is properly preserved and accessible for future use. The process involves digitizing the recording (if it is not born digital), adding metadata to facilitate search and retrieval, and ensuring the interview is archived and cataloged.

Worth the Effort

Conducting oral history interviews is a complex and nuanced process that requires careful preparation, active listening, and ethical considerations. However, by following best practices and techniques, interviewers can create a safe and engaging environment that allows interviewees to share their stories and experiences fully and authentically. As a result, oral history interviews are an invaluable tool for capturing and preserving individual perspectives and insights, providing a unique and valuable resource for future generations.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Why Oral Histories Matter

An oral history is a recorded audio or video interview in question-and-answer format. 

An oral history project is a series of oral history interviews focused on documenting a topic, theme, era, place, organization, event, or group of people.

Oral histories capture the unique stories and first-hand experiences of individuals, families, and communities that are not recorded as paper documents and would otherwise be lost. It is a way to document the stories of everyday people so that their history is preserved.

Archivists play a crucial role in preserving and providing access to the historical record. One of the most effective ways of achieving this is by collecting oral histories. Oral history interviews provide unique insights into the past and can help to fill gaps in the historical record, particularly in the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities. There are several compelling reasons why archivists should conduct oral history interviews. 

Capturing Untold Stories

Oral history interviews allow archivists to capture the stories and perspectives of individuals whose voices are often missing from the historical record. These may include people from marginalized communities whose experiences are not reflected in official documents or archives. By recording and preserving their stories, archivists can help to ensure that these individuals and their experiences are not forgotten.

Providing Context

Oral history interviews can provide valuable context for archival materials, such as photographs, letters, and other documents. By providing first-hand accounts of events and experiences, oral histories can help shed light on these materials’ meaning and significance. This action can be especially important when interpreting documents from periods or cultures unfamiliar to contemporary researchers.

Enhancing Accessibility

Oral histories can help to make archival materials more accessible to a wider audience. By providing personal accounts of historical events and experiences, oral histories can make the past feel more immediate and relevant to contemporary audiences. As a result, oral histories can help engage a broader range of people in studying history and encourage greater use of archival materials.

Preserving Memory

Oral histories can help to preserve the memory of events and experiences that might otherwise be lost. For example, oral histories of survivors of natural disasters, wars, or other traumatic events can provide valuable insights into the impact of these events on individuals and communities. By recording and preserving these stories, archivists can help to ensure that the memory of these events is not lost over time.

Building Community

Oral history interviews can also help to build community by providing a means of documenting and celebrating shared experiences. For example, archivists might conduct oral histories of individuals involved in local community organizations or events. These interviews can help to create a sense of shared history and identity within the community.

Planning for Success

Archivists must have a clear plan and methodology for successful oral history interviews. They identify potential interviewees, develop interview questions, and prepare release forms. Archivists may also need to invest in appropriate recording equipment, software, and training in interviewing techniques.

It is also essential for archivists to consider ethical considerations when conducting oral history interviews. For example, they need to obtain informed consent from interviewees, ensure confidentiality, and be sensitive to trauma, cultural differences, and power dynamics.

Oral history interviews are a powerful tool for archivists to capture and preserve the historical record. By recording and preserving the stories of individuals, archivists can help to fill gaps in the historical record and provide valuable context for archival materials. Oral histories can also help to make archival materials more accessible to a broader audience, preserve memory, and build community. However, conducting successful oral history interviews requires careful planning, methodology, and ethical considerations. Archivists who invest in oral history interviews can play a critical role in preserving the past and ensuring it is accessible to future generations.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Elements of a Records Survey Worksheet

A records survey worksheet is vital for any organization that manages records. It helps to systematically identify, organize, and describe records to ensure proper management.

The worksheet provides a standardized format for collecting information about records, ensuring consistency and accuracy in the inventory process. Various elements of a records survey worksheet and their significance inform records managers and archivists about an organization’s records.

Elements of a Survey

Description: This section captures the record’s title or description. The title should be clear and concise, summarizing the record’s content.

Creator: This element notes the record’s creator. The creator may be an individual or an organization. Again, the data gives context to the records.

Date: This component describes the record’s creation date for relevance and context.

Type: This section captures information about the record’s type, such as correspondence, report, or memorandum. The type of record is essential for understanding the record’s purpose and content.

Format: This area notes the record’s physical format, such as paper, microfilm, or digital. The format of the record is important for determining its preservation needs.

Size: This section captures the record’s size, including the number of pages or file size. The size of the records determines their storage requirements.

Location: This section documents the record’s physical location, such as a file cabinet or a server. The site of the record determines its accessibility and security.

Access Restrictions: This area records information about who can access the record and any restrictions on access, such as confidentiality or legal requirements. The information captured here is essential for ensuring the security and privacy of the records.

Record Retention and Disposition: This section denotes information about how long the record needs to be kept and how it should be disposed of when it is no longer required. The information captured here is important for complying with legal and regulatory requirements.

Condition: This section assesses the record’s condition, such as whether it is damaged, fragile, or at risk of deterioration. The information captured here is essential for determining the preservation needs of the record.

Preservation Needs: This area notes the preservation needs of the record, such as whether it requires conservation or restoration. The information captured here is important for ensuring the long-term survival of the record.

Significance: This element summarizes the record’s importance, such as its historical, cultural, or research value. The information captured here is important for determining the record’s long-term value and preserving it.

Notes: This additional area captures any information about the record that is not captured in the other areas of the worksheet. This information can help provide context or further details about the record.

Standardized Format

A records survey worksheet is vital for any organization that manages records. The worksheet provides a standardized format for collecting information about records, ensuring consistency and accuracy in the inventory process. Each section of the worksheet plays a crucial role in ensuring the proper management, preservation, and accessibility of records. By using a records survey worksheet, organizations can better manage their records and ensure that valuable information is preserved for future generations.

A records survey worksheet can assist archivists in efficiently managing and organizing archival materials. The worksheet is a structured tool for gathering essential information about the records, such as their format, content, provenance, and condition. By systematically recording these details, archivists can establish a comprehensive inventory and gain insights into the scope and significance of their collections. The worksheet aids in identifying preservation needs, prioritizing materials for processing, and planning for future storage requirements. Moreover, the worksheet can facilitate information retrieval by enabling archivists to create finding aids and develop access and reference services strategies. It streamlines archival workflows and enhances records’ management and preservation.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Surveying Organizational Records

Records are essential to every organization. Records can be in any form, including physical documents and electronic files. 

Proper management and organization of records is crucial for any organization to function smoothly. Records provide evidence of the organization’s activities and help staff make informed decisions.

One of the most effective ways to manage records is through inventorying them. An inventory of records is a systematic process of identifying, organizing, and describing records to ensure proper management. The inventory process involves several steps, including surveying, analyzing, and classifying records. The first step in the inventory process is the record survey worksheet.

A record survey worksheet is a document that helps organizations collect essential information about their records. The worksheet provides a standardized format for recording information about records, such as their location, format, creator, and access restrictions. In addition, the worksheet acts as a guide for the surveyor to collect all the necessary information consistently and efficiently.

Overview of Records

The purpose of a record survey is to provide a comprehensive overview of the records held by the organization. The survey helps identify duplicates, records no longer required, and records that must be preserved for legal, business, or historical reasons. In addition, the information collected in the survey helps create an inventory to help manage the records effectively.

Several Sections to Document

The record survey worksheet includes several sections that capture critical information about records. The first section captures information about the record’s title or description. In addition, this section contains information about the record’s creator, date of creation, and purpose. This information helps in identifying the records and their context.

The second portion notes the record’s format. This section includes information about the physical format of the record, such as paper, microfilm, or digital. The area also captures information about the size of the record, the number of pages, and any other relevant information about the format.

Another area denotes the record’s location. This section includes information about the record’s location, such as a file cabinet or a server. This information helps in locating the record when it is required.

A section records access restrictions. This section includes information about who can access the record and any restrictions on access, such as confidentiality or legal requirements.

The final section captures information about the record’s retention and disposition. This section includes information about how long the record needs to be kept and how it should be disposed of when it is no longer required. In addition, this area highlights materials that need to be sent to the archives because of their enduring value. 

A Critical Tool

Record surveys are critical for managing records effectively. They provide a standardized format for collecting essential information about records—ensuring consistency and accuracy in the inventory process. In addition, record surveys help organizations identify duplicate and obsolete records, comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and save storage and maintenance costs. Proper records management is essential for any organization’s success, and a record survey worksheet is essential in achieving this goal.

Record surveys can be a helpful tool for archives programs regarding preservation. By capturing information about the records, such as their physical format, condition, and preservation needs, the worksheet can help the archives program identify records requiring special attention or treatment. For example, records in poor physical condition, such as those that are fragile, damaged, or at risk of deterioration, can be identified and prioritized for conservation or restoration. The survey can also help the program track records’ preservation status over time, ensuring they receive the necessary care and attention to ensure long-term survival. Ultimately, by helping to identify and prioritize records that require preservation, the record survey worksheet can help archives programs ensure that valuable records are preserved for future generations.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Preserving Digitization Results

Digitization projects based on careful review, analysis, and planning yield resources that are functional and faithful to the archival sources and support new kinds of scholarship. 

In addition, project plans, progress assessments, adjustments and corrections, and retention of project-related data strengthen knowledge for the future. Each successful project brings archivists closer to fulfilling the promises of the electronic environment. 

Since primary sources transcend time and place, they provide valuable records of the past. Archives holding collections are responsible for managing them and making them available for generations. Until recently, some collections were difficult to access, but as equipment and methods evolved, so have collections. Digitization has vastly increased the number of primary sources available to researchers through electronic means. The phenomenal growth of digital information in institutions prompts an examination of the nature and importance of collections as technology changes how users conduct research. 

Digital surrogates are among the most common interaction points between an archival institution and the public. For example, the materials might be viewed directly on the institution’s website, social media, or in a newspaper article, magazine feature, or academic publication. They inform the viewer’s perception of the institution. In marketing, this activity, known as brand interaction, is critical to creating high-quality branding. Therefore, institutions must be mindful of the quality of the digital assets they make available to contribute to their brand. 

Raising Awareness 

Archivists need to raise awareness of available digital content. For example, repositories can offer a blog. Blogs are relatively easy to create, allowing archives to grow an audience through regular posts. Organizations can also use social media to spread news about the project. Digitization is the perfect companion to social media. A social media post about a release of a digital collection provides meaningful content to explore. The social value also incentivizes traditional media coverage. The release, and the coverage surrounding it, can create engagement and awareness. 

The marketing department may wish to contact local media, such as public radio and television stations, to see if there is interest in reporting on the project. In addition, consider exhibitions, publications, and lectures as venues for disseminating project updates and information. Archives can also benefit from collaboration. Archivists should find organizations with similar or complementary projects; those institutions may wish to work together to raise awareness. 

Digital Preservation Basics

Digital preservation is a process that involves storing digital records with descriptive information in multiple locations at the highest resolution possible. It requires migrating the records to new storage media to prevent data loss, changing file formats before they become obsolete, and providing access over a long period. Digital preservation centers on storage media choices, system life expectancy, and the expectation to migrate digital files to future systems while maintaining the original digital system’s functionality and integrity. The growth of digital files has created critical preservation problems that traditional methods cannot resolve. 

Three fundamental preservation strategies designed to preserve the integrity of digital files are refreshment, emulation, and migration. 

Refreshing periodically moves a file from one physical storage medium to another to avoid the obsolescence or degradation of the storage medium. Because physical storage devices decay and technological changes make older storage devices inaccessible to new computers, some ongoing refreshing is likely necessary for years to come.

Migration converts data from one configuration to another or from one generation of technology to another, preserving the essential characteristics of the data. Migration gradually brings files into a narrower variety of file formats. 

Like migration, emulation focuses on the application software rather than the data files. Emulation fuses software and hardware to reproduce the essential characteristics of one computer to another, allowing programs designed for one environment to operate differently. Emulation requires the creation of emulator programs that translate code between systems. The objective is that older data will run on modern computers under emulation.

There is a gap in digital records created in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and the long-term preservation of digital records is a challenge. Nevertheless, institutions, governments, and national and international organizations are developing preservation initiatives to preserve digital media. The success of these initiatives depends on the continuous dialog between all the parties involved.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

Investing in Archival Digital Projects

Many archival repositories have invested in digitization projects to enhance access to their collections. 

Archives have been particularly interested in infrastructure projects for several years. Repositories have also participated in collective efforts to test and disseminate tools, procedures, and methodologies. 

Understanding Digital Assets

Organizations are often interested in monitoring the processes of digitization projects to conduct cost-benefit analyses. The experience gained by managing projects helps organizations understand the investment in creating, maintaining, and delivering digital collections. In addition, experience produces tangible benefits, including distributing procedures and guidelines for use by the institution, integrating new systems with existing catalogs and databases, and recovering space. Other benefits include establishing relationships with partners, facilitating public relations and fundraising, and raising revenue. Still more returns on investment include greater efficiency, opportunity costs, increased institutional prestige, staff training and expertise, and improved morale.

With planning, it is often possible to coordinate the digitization of a collection with other activities. One such activity is combining the rehousing or cataloging of a collection with its digitization. This can save time and resources and reduce the handling that a collection experiences. As a result, digitization, integrated with other activities, has an inherently reduced cost and, therefore, a higher return on investment. 

An expanded collection of digital files requires storage; more files mean larger storage needs. In addition, a more extensive digital collection implies more traffic to an institution’s website. Handling the increased bandwidth of online visitors may require upgraded servers or a more expensive website hosting plan. In addition, those visitors may require more sophisticated tools for online collection. Adding such tools to a system or switching to a more sophisticated one can be a lengthy and expensive process. 

Investing in a CMS

A collections management system (CMS) is a physical and intellectual system for managing and accessing digital assets, providing storage, arrangement, and management of assets for access and preservation. Collections management systems optimize workflows by providing structure and tracking project statuses. In addition, the ability to assemble collections by likeness and size increases the efficiency of the digitization program and enhances the conversion of collections into digital files. 

How archivists choose to provide access to their digital collections depends on four factors: functionality, community, support, and cost. Functionality is essential in choosing a system for the project because a platform that does not do what the archivists need it to do complicates the project. They need a platform that allows them to focus on preparing and entering the data, not learning how to navigate through the system or determining workarounds for tasks. Archivists find that some platforms work better than others, depending on the data types. In other words, some platforms work very well with some data types but less well with others. Ideally, archivists should seek organizations that have worked with similar data and learn about their chosen platforms. 

Tapping into the Community

When deciding on a system, look at the user community to see if it fits the project. For example, suppose the community is in a related field. In that case, it is easier for archivists to reach out to others when they have questions or seek advice. 

Whatever system the repository selects, it is essential to have support available. For example, if the skills required for the platform are beyond the repository’s scope of knowledge, archivists may need more hands-on support. In addition, a less complicated system may be wise for organizations with limited resources. 

Finally, before deciding, ensure an accurate estimate of the costs, including hosting, configuration, and ongoing maintenance fees. Archivists may wish to contact other institutions using the platforms and see how these options work.

The blog was originally published on Lucidea's blog. 

Get Started

Looking for archival advising, records management, and historical research services? Click below to speak with an expert consultant.

Contact

9 Ways to Evaluate Credible Websites

When you're conducting research online, it may be difficult to determine if a website contains credible information. Almost anyone can publish anything online, which provides a wealth of information for scholars and students. However, the ease of publication may promote information which is false, faulty, or misleading. When evaluating websites for credibility, ask yourself the following questions:

Who is the author? Is his or her identity clear? What are his or her credentials?

What organizations are they affiliated with, and are they credible? Can you find additional information about the author from other websites?

Does the author provide evidence for his or her assertions? Are their sources up-to-date and available? Does he or she list citations or a bibliography? Where are their sources for the statistics they use?

Is the site affiliated with an academic institution, organization, journal, or group? Does the URL contain .gov, .edu, or .org?

Does the site have an About page so that you can read the mission statement? What point-of-views or biases might the organization have?

What is the purpose of the site? Does it educate, persuade, or sell anything? Does it contain advertising? If so, how might advertising affect the website's content?

Do you know when the website was last updated? Is the web page recent?

Does the information on the site concur with what you have learned about the subject from other sources? If not, what surprises you about the information you learned?

Does the site contain links to other sites? Are the linked sites affiliated with reputable organizations or people?

What tips do you use when evaluating web sources?