I agree ... We're actually creating a digitalization plan for our archives,
but not in terms of storage.  We view it as primarily a tool for access.  We
do have high-quality equipment, and "gold CDs" that the reps say last for
100 years, but we're not looking for these to be long-term storage.  We'll
still retain the original photographs and negatives in a climate-controlled
vault, which is much more stable.

But our preservation will be assisted by technology; patrons won't have to
paw through photographs looking for just the right one; the photos will be
in secure storage, and patrons will use photo CDs.  And chances are their
images will be printed out off the disk, which is fine by them.

If anything, our digitalization efforts are bringing new life to our audio
archives, as we digitalize some of our older transcription disks and
reel-to-reel tapes.   Finding equipment for playback of those is difficult
nowadays, so we convert to CD, and let the patrons listen to that.  We'll
still keep all the disks and tapes (in fact, some archives actually convert
their tapes and CDs backwards, to records.  If you have the playback
equipment, those can actually last longer!).

But you'd be surprised how many people don't think of migrating the material
to newer media over time.  They assume that once it's done, it doesn't need
to be worried about for decades.  Perhaps not.  But we've been educating
many people in our own staff, and I think they're starting to realize that
we always need to think of long-term preservation and access together.


--
Christopher J. Dawson
Curator of Urban and Industrial History
Western Reserve Historical Society
10825 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
216-721-5722 x247
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"History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are
and why we are the way we are." -- David McCullough

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