UpFront with NGS: Digital Preservation

Showing posts with label Digital Preservation. Show all posts

28 July 2016

Local Project Digitizes Invaluable Documents

Local Project Digitizes Invaluable Documents

We frequently talk about digitization as a way to preserve documents while often making them more accessible to researchers. Digitization also serves as a backup in case disaster strikes.

Read how one local genealogy society learned about the value of material which can be quickly destroyed by a hurricane, such as Hurricane Katrina, and put efforts into securing money for the equipment needed to digitize, organize, and index one-of-a-kind records -- Sampling History: Local library digital project sets trend for other public libraries.

… six years ago, members of the Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society became keenly aware of the vulnerability of one-of-a-kind records, books, maps and photographs housed at the Pascagoula Public Library's Local Genealogy and History Department.

The department is the chief depository of local history and genealogy for the entire regional library system that serves the entire population of Jackson and George Counties.

Great to learn about a locally-sponsored initiative that will preserve these materials for future generations.

What locally funded and implemented digitization project are you aware of?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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10 November 2014

Underground Storage = Records Preservation

The Lee’s Summit facility, in Missouri, was opened in 1998 as the first underground repository within the NARA records center system. [NARA Central Plains Region]
http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/publications/prologue/2009/summer/dateline/images/lees-l.jpg&c=/publications/prologue/2009/summer/dateline/images/lees.caption.html

We often talk about the need to preserve records.

The reality is that historically records were paper-based and took up lots of room.

Then they were stored on various media, which also took space.

Now many are stored digitally (still necessitating physical storage space as well as forms of backup).

This all came to mind after reading Making Room for Records (Prologue: Pieces of History, The National Archives (NARA))

Since it opened and began accepting records in 1935, the National Archives has had to face the issue of space. Housing the records of the Federal Government is no small task, even when only 1-3 percent of the government’s records are held in perpetuity.

It’s a fascinating to read about the efforts by NARA to ensure enough space for all the records that it does have to hold in perpetuity. Did you know that NARA has four underground repositories?

Many of you may be familiar with the Mormon Churches Granite Mountain Vault.

Most underground storage (for archival purposes) takes advantage of existing mines, Adaptation of Underground Space (Preservation, National Archives) – this article explains many of the advantages and challenges of using such spaces.

The US is not the only nation to use mines for storage. Read about the UK in Salted away: Cheshire salt mine to store National Archives and

Germany

, Barbarastollen underground archive.

Source: http://www.bbk.bund.de/SharedDocs/Bilder/BBK/DE/SampleBilder/
Faesser_Bergungsstollen_072009.jpg;jsessionid=
D1D88D369E04EEDF702790D2713A946D.1_cid355?__blob=poster&v=1

And, one doesn’t have to be a national archive nor a world-wide religion to take advantage of underground storage. Iron Mountain has a National Date Center in Pennsylvania which is used by the Smithsonian Institution and provides services, at a price.

Though most of our community archives will not end up stored in underground vaults, it is a reminder the preservation of massive quantities of created records (regardless of media) takes forethought and preparing for any type of eventuality.

Have you heard of other creative places used for records storage?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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23 July 2014

SC "Digitization in a Box" program is a boon to family historians -- What is your state doing to help local communities digitally preserve invaluable content?

We all love digitization projects. Often, a hurdle to such projects for a community (government, library, archives, etc) is a lack of money and/or know how to make such a project happen.

Well, SC is one state doing something about that ! As reported in SC libraries get help putting historic materials online

The South Carolina State Library is offering Digitization in a Box to the state's libraries to put their historic photos and documents online.

"Almost every public library in South Carolina has their own local history collection, their own South Carolina room, or someone who as donated photographs or other historical information about their community," said Digital Project Supervisor Amanda Stone. "A lot of times these small public libraries don't have the expertise to do anything with them."

Stone oversees the program, which provides the library with the equipment, software, and expertise to scan the documents and put them online so they are easy to find. Libraries get the service for two months, with an option for a third month.

This is a really great resource for SC libraries. Read more about “Digitization in a Box.”

Are you aware of similar projects run by other states?

I see where Indiana has a grant program for libraries and cultural institutions to digitize and preserve Indiana history.

Additionally, state libraries can apply for and benefit from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) which dispenses funds that can be used for digitization efforts such as the Evansville, Wisconsin Digitization Project. Here is a page about such grants as issued in NC for digitization (as well as other needs). There is a list on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission Page, Funding for Library Digitization Projects which talks about Federal, Private and TX-based foundation funding options.

Basically, most local libraries, archives, cultural institutions, etc, do not have the expertise nor funds to digitize their invaluable contents. Any program that can provide funding or technical support to local initiatives benefits us all.

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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09 July 2014

Obsolete Tech -- what genealogists and family historians need to know!

Thanks to a post on the Technology for Genealogy Facebook page, I just read When Irreplaceable History Lives on Obsolete Tech (Popular Mechanics). Make sure to read the full article – it has 2 pages. This is very very important to genealogists as many move towards paperless systems and also are the “family archive” for kept stuff in various media formats.

We have seen so much “new tech” that has come, conquered, and then become obsolete in our lifetimes! Ask me about the 8mm film that I converted to VHS and which I now need to convert to ??? Or, ask me about that old “deck” of my family history created on an old Apple computer of who knows what generation back in the 1980s. I know that I have some floppy disks stored somewhere, slides somewhere else, memory cartridges in another place, mini cassette tapes, and so on. Is the same true at your house?

As someone who is cleaning out her attic, I cannot tell you how much obsolete (and typically unuseable) tech I have thrown out this past week.

Now imagine that your responsibility is to make sure that priceless history (stored on long ago and now obsolete tech) for an archive, institution, or nation, is preserved. Doesn’t that sound like a headache? It is.

The article talks about various media formats, software challenges, copyright, and other issues; all extremely important to family historians. It also mentions Marion Stokes and her collection mentioned in a recent edition of Upfront Mini Bytes and reminds us that the Internet Archive can be a wonderful home for media (video, music, audio, and texts).

And, they are telling us now that CDs and DVDs do degrade over time and that their format is facing obsolescence. Fortunately, I back up all my “stuff” on a hard-drive and on DVDs. I also keep paper files for many things, though as I clean out the attic, I am shredding a lot of old paper. After all, how many boxes of bills, paper stubs, tax records, medical records, and more, does one really need to retain? Non-sequitor and this reminds me that I probably should create a “retention policy” for my personal papers. Have you done that?

Now let’s go back to obsolete tech and what to do about that issue. You can learn a lot on this topic and keep informed about current practices via the Digital Preservation webpage from The Library of Congress and The Signal: Digital Preservation, the blog about Digital Preservation from The Library of Congress.

Another resource is a series of articles published on the FamilySearch Blog, Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally—Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

It’s important for us to be aware of what we are creating using what technology. It’s important to realize that in 5, 10, or more years, those formats may become obsolete and/or inaccessible. We need to try, as much a possible, to “future proof” any items of historical significance that we store in a particular media.

After all, we do want our descendants to be able to share in the rich history that we have archived and are actively creating right now.

If you have found a resource that’s really helped you as you navigate the world of preserving now obsolete media, please do share that with us!

Editor's Note: after 1st posting without a title -- one has now been added

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

10 June 2014

The 2014 NDSA Innovation Award Winners -- Digital Preservation Efforts

Digital (and other forms) of preservation are very important to our genealogical community.

Recently, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance Innovation Working Group announced the winners of the 2014 NDSA Innovation Awards. Each year the Innovation Working Group solicits nominations for projects, individuals, and organizations doing innovative and substantive work in digital preservation. This is the third year they have handed out these awards and previous blog posts list the 2012 recipients and the 2013 recipients.

Learn more about the 2014 recipients.

+ Institution: National Software Reference Library, National Institute for Standards and Technology

+ Project: XFR STN, The New Museum. “XFR STN” (Transfer Station)

+ Individual: Trevor Muñoz, Assistant Dean for Digital Humanities Research at the University of Maryland Libraries and an Associate Director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities.

+ Future Steward: Emily Reynolds, National Digital Stewardship Resident, The World Bank.

Have news about other digital preservation efforts? Let us know!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

09 June 2014

FREE Video Series -- Caring and Preserving Family Papers, Photographs and More

A series of tutorial videos has been produced by the [NC] State Historical Records Advisory Board and the State Archives of North Carolina with support by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. These provide basic information about the care and handling of family papers, regardless of where you live.

You can FREELY access these tutorial videos via YouTube. They each run about 10 minutes.

#1, Identifying and Protecting Essential Family Records

#2, General Paper Preservation Tips

#3, Caring for and Sharing Family and Personal Papers

#4, The Care and Preservation of Family Photographs

#5, Managing and Preserving Digital Images

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

01 May 2014

Are you celebrating PRESERVATION WEEK?

This week is Preservation Week. This week is always a great opportunity to think about what you, or a local organization or archive or library or government entity are doing to help make sure that future generations will be able to take advantage of all that has been preserved for them.

Many libraries and other facilities will hold special programs this week. Check with your local library or other repository to see if there are any special programs planned. Or, maybe a new resource guide has been created?

As a minimum, make sure that you are “preserving” your own personal heritage for your descendants to enjoy!

Editor’s Note: past Upfront with NGS posts on this topic.

+ (2013) Digital Preservation News -- FREE Webinar Series and Resource Guide

+ (2012) Celebrate Preservation Week 2012!

+ (2011) Digital Preservation Europe -- Entertaining Yet Serious Videos on Digital Preservation

+ (2011) Preservation Week Poster

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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23 April 2014

Do-it-yourself book scanner preserving Pittstown PA history one page at a time!

It’s amazing what one or two or a small group of people can do when a passion of theirs will benefit many.

A recent example of this that I read about, Book scanner preserves volumes of history (thetimes-tribune.com) caught my eye since it’s based on one person working with the local historical society and the city to use a “do-it-yourself” version of a scanning apparatus to digitize that cities history.

He opens whichever book he is working on that day to the proper page, places it in a cradle, and lowers a V-shaped plastic panel to keep the page in place. He pushes his foot against a black pedal, and two Canon digital cameras fire simultaneously, recording the yellowing, faded page in a digital image.

Digitization efforts are most often stymied by a lack of funds which can be compounded by a lack of personnel to carry out such. In this case, a cost-effective process (this particular apparatus was built pro bono though it was based on a do-it-yourself idea), combined with a dedicated volunteer and a cooperating historical society and city government “are” preserving Pittston’s history. Over 30 books out of 150 have already been digitized.

Unfortunately, as we often hear about and learn, some of our history is disappearing even as I write this.

The left wall of City Hall's archive room is empty - Mr. Hines said water damage from a leaky ceiling once destroyed volumes of records, turning them to "black dust."

Might this be an option in your community? Has your community participated in a similar effort?

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01 April 2013

Digital Preservation News -- FREE Webinar Series and Resource Guide

Digital preservation has certainly been in the news lately! Here is a recap of some recent news on the subject that might interest you! All of the mentioned resources are FREE and available to the public.

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Library of Congress has released “Perspectives on Personal Digital Archiving.” This is a free and new e-publication. Described as “a published compilation of selected blog posts published in The Signal. All of these posts are written by NDIIPP staff as well as guest bloggers from inside and outside the Library of Congress. This resource can serve as a primer for the digital archive novice, as well as a refresher for those with more experience.” Read here for more about this new publication.

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Members of the Web Science and Digital Libraries Research Group at Old Dominion University attended Personal Digital Archiving (PDA) 2013. They provide a great summary of the sessions held with links provided to various videos housed on Internet Archive (one of my favorite places!).

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Live in NC? Interested in Digital Preservation? A librarian or interested person?

If so, check out this free webinar series being offered brought to you by ASERL, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, these webinars are targeted toward those preserving digital content as part of their jobs, but are open to all. They’re presented by professionals from all over the country.

“Preservation Planning and Overview of PREMIS for Beginners”
Speaker = Lisa Gregory, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
This webinar is designed to help participants begin formulating a digital preservation plan for their digital collections. Even if you already have files accumulating, planning and implementing basic digital preservation strategies doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Topics to be covered include what to consider during planning, first steps for implementation, as well as a basic introduction to PREMIS, the Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata. The goal will be to help you start thinking about preservation as part of your everyday digital workflow.
DATE: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/784245138

“Forbearing the Digital Dark Age: Capturing Metadata for Digital Objects”
Speaker = Chris Dietrich, National Park Service.
Metadata is the key to both discovery and long-term accessibility of digital content. This webinar will address metadata for digital photos, documents, audio-video, tabular data, and GIS data. Topics include categories of metadata, metadata standards for different asset types, metadata capture strategies, and metadata software tools. Links to additional resources for digital preservationists will also be provided.
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

“Management of Incoming Born-Digital Special Collections”
Speaker = Gretchen Gueguen, University of Virginia.
This webinar will cover the basics of getting started with managing born-digital archives. Through basic techniques and practical suggestions, you will learn how to assess your collection, develop a management plan, put basic policies in place, and set up an accessioning workflow. Simple tools to help you do the job will be reviewed along with guides and other resources to help answer your questions.
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/366765338

“Using FITS to Identify File Formats and Extract Metadata”
Speaker = Andrea Goethals, Harvard University.
After an introduction to file formats and technical metadata, a demo of the File Information Tool Set (FITS) will be given. You will learn what it does, how it differs from other format tools, how to use it, how to customize it and how Harvard is using FITS in different ways. No experience with FITS is necessary but if you would like to try it out in advance you can download it from http://code.google.com/p/fits/
DATE: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/305875426

Do you have other recent Digital Preservation news? If so, please post a comment!

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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