Posts Tagged ‘Digital preservation’
The Benefits of Choosing Preservation-Grade Hardware
Preservation-grade is more than just a marketing phrase. Not all scanners are equal. For cultural heritage, government records, or institutional archives, “good enough” isn’t enough. Preservation-grade is a term that often appears in archival conservation, but it also can apply to digital preservation. The word preservation means keeping something safe from harm and in its original state. In conservation, preservation-grade materials and techniques do this by protecting, storing, or displaying items for long-term stability and minimal deterioration. Digital preservation aids…
Preserving Nitrate Film Archives with End-to-End Digitization
Motion picture film has documented some of the most important cultural, scientific and historical moments of the past century. But many of the earliest films, and countless photographic negatives, were created on a medium that presents preservation challenges: nitrate film. Used widely from the late 19th century through the early 1950s, nitrate film offered excellent image quality but came with a major drawback. It is chemically unstable and highly flammable. Over time, nitrate film can deteriorate to the point where images…
Upgrade vs. Replace: An Equipment Decision Guide
Utilize this information as a guide to help you determine if you should upgrade vs. replace your equipment. How to Evaluate Existing Systems for Evolving Digitization Needs As digitization needs change, many organizations find themselves asking a familiar question: should we upgrade our current equipment, or is it time to consider a full replacement? There is no single answer that fits every situation. The age of your equipment is only part of the story, and it is understandable to hesitate…
What Is Digital Preservation?
An Introduction to Long-Term Access, Authenticity, and Sustainability in Digitization Projects
Many people use the terms digital preservation and digitization as if they mean the same thing, but they are quite different. Scanning a document or converting film to a digital file is just the beginning. True digital preservation is what keeps that file accurate, accessible, and usable for years—sometimes decades—into the future. For organizations that care for records, archives, or cultural heritage collections, digital preservation is essential. It is the foundation that protects the investment in digitization and ensures that…
Digitized Oral History Puts Control Back in the Hands of Native Communities
Working for a digitization company that focuses primarily on still media, it’s easy to forget that not all records are written down or photographed. In Native American cultures, oral traditions play a big role in passing stories, history and heritage to the next generation. Unfortunately, as delicate as paper can be, human lives are even more fragile. This makes the passing of these stories critical to the preservation of tribal communities. The University of New Mexico (UNM) has been one…