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.
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.
Why Oral Histories Matter
Elements of a Records Survey Worksheet
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.
Preserving Digitization Results
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.
Digitization Planning and Cost Projection
Strategizing for Digitization Projects
Digitization has changed how collections are used and accessed.
Research can make digital surrogates more amendable to interpretation, such as via full-text searching and indexing, as well as comparison of materials for multiple sources. Nonetheless, there may be times when no digital surrogate is adequate for scholarship. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate whether digitization is worthwhile before undertaking an initiative. Many factors come into play when assessing the value of digital files. These factors may help access when digitizing collections can be cost-effective. Valuable digital resources, which bring prestige to the institutions that create and maintain them, are those that support scholarship without losing the benefits of working with the originals.
Instagram for Archives
Instagram is a powerful tool to introduce your archival collections to the public through images. It also allows your constituents to see parts of collections that they might not usually see because of security or preservation reasons. Viewers can experience your storage areas, your conservation room, or rare items that are rarely displayed.