I am sorry, but I still don't understand what you mean by "scan only" file. It seems to be an attempt at such a degree of accuracy that I, for one, find more confusing than accurate. It does not matter if a digital image is a "scan" image or not. A digital image is a digital image. Nor does it matter if the image is on CD, DVD, or zip disk, as far as the image is concerned. That would be location information and the desription would be needed only as far as the location is concerned not the "file." I understand that I may be missing your point.

I am also surprised that you are storing the digital images on seperate physical media. A single (or multiple) hard disk(s) would be much simpler to maintain and to use for accessing information. This way you also do not need to worry about multiple media formats and obsolescence. A tape backup that is stored offsite, of the hard disk, would provide security in case of catastrophe. Adding hard copies appears, to me, to be just one more level of work and storage problems that is not necessary.

If set-up correctly, once the basic donor information and file descriptions are set-up and the image digitized (scanned)then there should be no more human intervention until someone needs to acces the image. All else can, and need be automated, so that you don't drive yourself into a state of exhaustion. I know from "one man bands" and that is not an easy karma to undertake.Peace, Nick    

-----Original Message-----
>From: archives <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Nov 16, 2007 11:25 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [MUSEUM-L] electronic storage device nomenclature
>
>Thank you all for all your replies.  I did go to the Archivist list, and
>there was a thread similar, but it hadn't been resolved. I am contacting
>the original querent to see what she might have learned off-list.  The
>following is to try to explain my original request, since it seems to have
>confused people.
>All of the 'scan only' images we own have been attached to Past Perfect
>cataloging, and the CD/Zip files are either the archival back-up copies, or
>the
>original image files from the donor (each donor's gift images that I have
>scanned from their originals) are archived
>on a CD under their accession number).  All of the images attached to PP
>are also backed up, a folder at a time, on CDs.  That is why the original
>nomenclature query-what do I call these electronic donor files in my Past
>Perfect
>cataloging? ROM, CD/DISK, ZIP (?)
>One of my largest image 'scan only' files comes from the local newspaper's
>morgue.
>They were kind enough to let me scan the photos from their photo morgue (2
>owners ago, in the 1980s, one seller did not convey the previous photo file
>and it vanished) for our collection.  The original photos are at the
>newspaper; we have the scans & backups of the scans on CD. At least if the
>paper is sold and the photo morgue lost again, these 650 images will be
>preserved.
>The worry I have is that later on these electronic only files will be
>unreadable by future programs.  That is why I felt it might be prudent to
>print copies of the 400 dpi TIFF archival images, just in case. Also, when
>I get time, 
>all files on Zip disks will go on either CDs or DVD (my computer does not
>have a DVD drive)
> because the Zip drive seems to be like the Dodo...disappearing.  
>Again, thank you for helping.  This one-band band in a small town in the
>Shenandoah Valley appreciates it.  Mary Thomason-Morris, Archivist, Clarke
>Co. Hist.
>
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