Free report on storage environment (your tax dollars at work)

July 31, 2007

Have you heard of the NHPRC? That’s the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. It is the only national U.S. agency dedicated solely to the preservation of historical records. No buildings. No farm implements. Just documents. NHPRC. (Pssst…they give grants.)

Back in the late 90s I worked for the Wisconsin affiliate, the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board. My work on the Best Practices Project was instrumental in how I approach archiving and the role of state historical societies.

So. What the heck is a Best Practices Project, you ask? It was pretty simple, actually. Earlier surveys of records holders in Wisconsin had revealed a basic unavoidable truth:

Pound for pound, more historical documents were being cared for by non-archivists than by archivists.

Our challenge was to get as much training as possible to as many “accidental archivists” as possible, with a cost as low as possible. But first we wanted to make sure the records keepers were the ones to choose the topic — based on their immediate information needs.

We set up a task force for each of these groups:

• public librarians
• local historical societies
• local governments (registers in probate)

Next, we asked each group to identify and rank their most critical information need with regard to caring for historical records. The result was three manuals of instruction, all of which you are welcome to download and share. After all, it’s your tax dollars that made the project possible in the first place.

Click the titles below to download the free PDF files:
1. Creating a Collection Development Policy for Local Historical Records in Public Libraries (PDF, 123KB)
2. Creating a Collection Development Policy for Historical Records (PDF, 120KB)
3. Everything You Wanted to Know About Storage Environment, But Were Afraid to Ask (PDF, 260KB)

Learn more about the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board here.

As promised in my last post, I’m including an excerpt from the storage environment manual, which was written for Wisconsin Registers in Probate. During our meetings, I heard about county boards pressuring clerks to scan and dump the historical records in their care. It reminded me a lot of the current situation in Tuscaloosa.

Below is my advice, written almost exactly 10 years ago.

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Appendix C: THE DIGITIZATION BANDWAGON

Digitization is Great for Access
At first glance, digitization and imaging look like a superior form of records storage.

• Each copy is an exact clone of the original.
• Availability of perfect copies keeps original from being overused.
• Multiple users can access the same information simultaneously.
• Records don’t need as much storage space.
• Retrieval is fast.
• Advanced search techniques (such as keyword searches) can be used to find information.

Digitization is Not a Long-Term Storage Solution
Digitization is a great way to increase access to recorded information, but long term storage of
digital information requires diligence and active management. Storing digital information can also be very expensive.

• Hardware and software become obsolete about every five years.
• Digital information has to be stored on a physical medium such as disks or tapes. Even by the most generous estimates, these materials have a lifespan of less than 50 years.

The Case of the 1960 Census
The National Archives had a difficult time accessing parts of the 1960 Census. The records were stored on tapes that the Census Bureau could read only with a tape drive that was long obsolete.

“When the computer tapes containing the raw data from the 1960 federal
census came to the attention of NARS [the National Archives and Records
Service], there were only two machines in the world capable of reading
those tapes: one in Japan and the other already deposited in the
Smithsonian as a relic.”

(Committee on the Records of Government 1985:9, 86-87)

A (Mostly) Happy Ending…
By 1979, nearly all the requested data had been successfully copied onto industry-standard
tapes. (Of the original 1.5 million, 10,000 records were not successfully recovered).

Cost of Digitization
Before you assume that scanning will save you money, remember the following costs:

• Upgrading the hardware, software and operating system(s).
• Conversion costs for transferring data to the new program / system.
• Technical support.
• Continuous training.

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What has changed since 1997?
Lots more digital records, for one thing. Unfortunately, we still don’t have a perfect solution for how to preserve digital records in the long term — but the digital train has definitely left the station. Just think about how many records are born digital these days.

So, tell me…Do you think my advice is still valid a million* years later?

*That’s internet years, by the way.
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Why "scan n’ dump" is a terrible idea

July 30, 2007

There’s controversy brewing in Tuscaloosa.

(Never thought I’d open a blog entry with that sentence, but life is full of surprises, ennit?)

I read on Dear MYRTLE’s blog about plans in Tuscaloosa to scan historic ledgers and dump the originals. Myrt linked to an article in the University of Alabama student paper, where I read this snippet (Bobo is Circuit Clerk Magaria Bobo):

“We’ll scan them on a disk, and at that point we’ll destroy them,” Bobo said. “They’ll be in better shape to read after being scanned because the paper they’re on now is so delicate because it’s so old.”

Oh, dear.

Read the DatelineAlabama article here.
Read Myrtle’s post here.

First of all, let’s give the clerks of court credit for operating the best they can under difficult circumstances. These folks have a legal mandate to preserve records, but little financial support to carry out their responsibilities.

I know how mightily they sometimes have to struggle. Back in 1997, I worked with a group of Wisconsin Registers in Probate who were extremely dedicated to records preservation even though they had to fight for every dime. (More on that project — including an excerpt from the manual I created — in the next post).

Is scan n’ dump ever OK?
For government records, the answer is no…at least not yet. Not until we solve the problem of long term digital preservation. And not until local government officials are given a decent budget and the right equipment to check data regularly and migrate records every 3-5 years as the software changes. Digitization is great for increased access, but it doesn’t save you money in the long run.

In Tuscaloosa, for example, the clerk is forced to keep crumbling historic ledgers in a hot “moldy” attic. If her budget can’t provide a single decent storage room, where is the money going to come from to handle electronic records?

For family snapshots (especially the extra ones that will never make it into an album) I say go for it. Just be sure to offer the unwanted prints to family members before you toss anything. And remember to respect age and scarcity.

On the other hand… film n’ dump can be a safe choice.
Black and white (silver) microfilm is expected to last hundreds and hundreds of years. If you choose to film n’ dump, be sure to conduct rigorous quality checks of the film. I’ve heard nightmare stories about sloppy filming projects.

Next up: Advice on digitization that I wrote back in 1997. For better or worse, it’s still mostly valid.
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Recycle unwanted CDs and DVDs!

July 25, 2007

CDs are cheap and plentiful, which is great for sharing digital files and making extra backup copies. But it also means there are (literally) tons of junk CDs lying around.

Instead of adding them to a landfill, why not get crafty and recycle them instead?

In addition to funky sculptures like the one you see to the left, you can create many delightful artifacts from your junk CDs:

• Coasters
• Disco ball
• Hovercraft
• Lamp
• Candle stand
• Window valance
• Postcards
• Memory books

For more information, visit my new favorite DIY site, Curbly.com:

[Photo credit: Me. The sculpture's in my neighbor's garden. Tip of the hat to The Consumerist for the crafty link.]

New Feature: Quick Link Roundup

July 22, 2007

Introducing a brand new feature here on the Practical Archivist blog:

There’s plenty of interesting stuff out there on the intertubes. For this new feature, I will find ‘em, rope ‘em and serve ‘em up to you with little or no commentary. Quick n’ dirty. Ready? Here we go…

READ:

* Randy Seaver over at Genea Musings gives a wonderful real-world example of an often overlooked fact: Everything is NOT online. Read Randy’s Manuscript Collections post for details.

*Family Tree Magazine has a helpful thread about how to persuade relatives to share photos and other documents. Personally, I find it sad that people can be so stingy with family treasures…especially when copies are so easy to make.

VIEW:

* Trunks full of family history are discovered in the walls of a house during renovation. Read the happy reunion story and watch the heartwarming video here.

* And, last but not least, a aural-ocular video treat for my steampunk friends: Thomas Edison Hates Cats.

Got a quick link you’d like to share?
Use the comments section below.

© Photographer: Dennis Cox | Agency: Dreamstime.com
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Raise your Google IQ: My favorite Google trick!

July 18, 2007

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Before I give away my all-time favorite research trick, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to new readers who discovered this blog via Family Tree Magazine. Not only was I featured in Fern Glazer’s wonderfully written article about preserving your family treasures, the Practical Archivist blog was named one of the 4 best blogs for family historians. An honor, indeed!

This Google trick is simple, but a little conceptual. So let’s take a step back…

• When you use the phrase search box or place quotation marks around a set of words, Google searchers for that exact string of words. (For my earlier article about the benefits of phrase searching, click here.)
• Many folks type their question in the search box. The problem is that the articles you are looking for will have the answer but not the question. It’s possible you will find a FAQ page or two, but most of the answers are written as regular sentences.
• Solution = Type in the answer you are looking for, not your question.

Here’s an example from my days as Image Research Coordinator for American Girl:

We needed to add some color to a spread in Welcome to Kit’s World, a lavishly illustrated history of life in America during the Great Depression of the 1930s. There was plenty of black and white photography available, but certainly no color photography. My solution was to find a modern color photograph of a vintage 1930s dress…ideally a Ginger Rogers gown. But in order to track that down, I needed to know when Ms. Rogers died.

Here is what I typed into Google (remember, the quotation marks are important)

What happened? The exact information I wanted came back as the top 5 or 6 results. Multiple sources with the same date was a strong argument for the accuracy of that date. My point here is that searching “when did Ginger Rogers die?” would not have returned these results.

In summary, to find what you are looking for, search for the ideal sentence that will answer your question, not the question itself. Happy hunting!

Other articles you might enjoy:

Raise your Google IQ in two easy keystrokes
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Dating British Photographs

July 17, 2007

Reader Andrew Millard left a helpful tip in the comments section about a web site for dating British photographs:

http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/time/date.htm

Andrew says: “It has a wide range of dated photographs that you can compare to your own undated ones.“

Thanks, Andrew!
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Learning how to date old photographs

July 14, 2007

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Last month, Randy over at Genea-Musings found this wonderful photographic treasure in his Aunt Geraldine’s papers. He asked for input from readers to help date this pair of cased photographs. Randy’s post contains some great resources to help you date old photographs, so be sure to stop by. It’s nice to have resources pooled together like that. Thanks, Randy!

Dating old photographs is a very effective way to help identify who is in the photo. If you can narrow it down to a decade and you know your family tree, it’s much easier to figure out who is pictured in an unmarked photograph.

Here are two great books that will help you date your photographic treasures.

Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs
by Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective

As far as I’m concerned, Maureen Taylor is the Supreme Maven of Photo Dating. Lucky for us, she shares her expertise in easy to understand books written with genealogists in mind. This updated version of one of her classics is a must-have for every family archivist.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Every single rating on Amazon.com is 5 out of 5. Here’s the first review, click here to read them all.

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This book is an outstanding way to expand your family history skills through photo research. It provides step-by-step advice on how to identify ancestors in photos using their poses, clothes, studio props, and other information.

After giving a history of photography with emphasis on identifying types of photographs by era, the author provides chapters such as “Looking for Clues”, “Identifying Costume”, and the very important “Identifying the Photographer”. The book also gives detailed information on how to build your own family photograph collection including the use of photograph worksheets and proper labeling.

The photographs used to illustrate the book are simply glorious. It is a visual treat to follow the pictorial examples given to explain the text. Each photo is an exquisite specimen of how our ancestors faced the camera.

————————————————————————————————-

Oh, and don’t forget to visit Maureen’s Photo Detective blog.

Dressed for the Photographer
By Joan Severa

If you’re serious about dating photographs, there’s another book that will make your task much easier. You don’t need this book if you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of costume. What’s that? You don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of costume? Yeah, me neither…and I sourced historic photos for over six years. It takes a long time to build that expertise.

Once again, family historians are fortunate that an expert has shared her knowledge with the rest of us. Joan Severa is a former costume curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Joan’s book, Dressed for the Photographer, is PACKED with example photographs and arranged chronologically. The images are large enough for you to see the detail, and the book is printed on high quality paper (that’s why it’s so pricey). Joan points out all the hallmarks to look for when dating a photograph, including clothing, jewelry and hairstyles. She also does a fantastic job including photographs of regular working people, not just the wealthy. Amazing book. Nothing else like it out there.

[Photo Credit: Randy Seaver, Genea-Musings blog]
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Other articles you might enjoy:
5 tips for preserving your one-of-a-kind family photographs
Where should I store my family photographs?
What to keep? What to toss?
Flash drives are NOT for long term storage
Why do archivists wear white gloves?

Hipster Librarians and Hero Archivists

July 13, 2007

Hipster Librarians

Many, many people sent me a link to the New York Times article about hipster librarians. Even my mom sent me a link! Libraryland is in a bit of an uproar about it, especially the cracks about shushing.

Here’s my take:

It was in the Style section. The NYT Style section doesn’t care what librarians do all day. What they want is to showcase real people in funky clothes. I know plenty of hipsters with library degrees and you know what? They all have a FABULOUS sense of style that is uniquely their own. So huzzah to them, I say.

Here’s my favorite part of the article: Librarians recruit at bars. Well, duh. Here’s what a bartender said during an American Library Association conference: “I love the librarians! They drink like fish, tip well, and never cause trouble like the shriners.”

As for recruiting, we know a librarian/archivist when we meet one. I’ve said before that entering library school felt like coming home. There are lots of things we have in common, incuding a very serious dedication to public service. Which leads me to my next bit of news…

Hero Archivists

What does an archivist do? Well, lots of us preserve government documents and serve them up to the public. It’s fundamental to open government and participatory democracy. We do not take this responsibility lightly.

Over at hangingtogether.org, Jim pointed to a Maureen Dowd column that calls archivists “the new heroes” in DC. The column was titled A Vice President Without Borders, Bordering on Lunacy. Here’s the clip Jim shared, complete with (regrettable) nerdlinger stereotype:

“I love that Cheney was able to bully Colin Powell, Pentagon generals and George Tenet when drumming up his fake case for war, but when he tried to push around the little guys, the National Archive data collectors — I’m visualizing dedicated “We the People” wonky types with glasses and pocket protectors — they pushed back.

Archivists are the new macho heroes of Washington.”

Dude. It’s always the quiet ones you have to worry about. I thought everybody knew that.

TV is Dead. Long Live Internet TV!

My neighborhood has a wonderful 4th of July parade. This year, we were filmed for a wonderful new website called storybridge.tv. Are you sick and tired of the “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” kind of coverage you get on local news? Me too. So were Katy Sai and Jeff Olsen, who left their network jobs to create a beautiful alternative.

See our parade (including a brief interview with yours truly) at this link:
http://storybridge.tv/chronicles/012
(Run time = 4 minutes)

Practical Archivist as a Simpsons Character

No, I’m not going to be on the Simpsons, sadly. I made my avatar online last week and just had to show it off. To understand how excited I am about my new avatar, you have to know what a super ultra mega Simpsons fan I am.

• I started reading Life in Hell by Matt Groening (“rhymes with complaining”) back in the 80s — thanks to Madison’s weekly The Isthmus.
• I watched the Tracy Ullman show in part to see his cartoons that were the transitions between the show and the commercials.
• My husband and I have watched The Simpsons together since it debuted. Back then it was our Sunday date night. These days, we watch with our kids.
• I quote The Simpsons the way Miss Marple talks about the people of St. Mary Mead. Allegorically.

So, yeah. Crazed superfan would not be an overstatement. I’m a wee bit excited about the movie. Envious? Make your own Simpsons avatar here.

[Thanks, neatorama. You rock.]

File names for your digital photographs

July 9, 2007

Should we keep the computer generated file names or come up with our own?

There are advantages to the machine generated name:

• They easily sort in order of creation
• There are no repeated file names
• You don’t have to think about it, it’s already done. ^-^

Remember, the file name itself is not the only place to put information about the photo. If you want scads of information about your photographs at your fingertips, your best bet is to create a simple database in FileMaker Pro or Access.

You can create fields for information like who owns the original*, when it was taken, the names of everyone in the photo, the condition of the original, whether the digital file is the “unmolested digital master” or a copy that you restored digitally. One of the fields would be “file name.” Since you will search the database to find what you’re looking for, it doesn’t matter if the file name is something vague like xqp02064.tiff.

*(Genealogists, for example, often have digital copies of ancestral photos sent to them by distant cousins.)

Regardless of what kind of name you choose, it’s a good idea to write the file name on the back of all scanned photographs. Use a soft No. 1 pencil. If the print won’t take a pencil mark, you can slip it in a sleeve and write on the sleeve. Or you can mark it with an archival permanent marker on an edge that has only background information. (That ink might bleed through eventually, so don’t write over people’s faces.) My local camera company adds the file name on the back automatically when I print my digitals. I love that feature.

Generating Your Own Names: The 8.3 Rule
To ensure that your files have maximum portability, you need to follow the 8.3 rule. That means you have 8 spaces to describe your new digital photograph, plus the 3 spaces after the dot for the file type. It’s difficult to jam identifying information using this constricted format. I’ve tried, as you can see from this excerpt from my “8 Blunders People Make When They Scan Photographs” booklet:

I recommend starting with a date code. That way, sorting by file name will automatically sort chronologically at the same time. I use a 3 number date code with “1” for 1900s and “2” for 2000 and beyond. After that, a family name code, or even an individual code if you have already creating this kind of indexing system. The last 3 spaces are for a brief description. GP for a group portrait, for example.

A 1919 photograph of the McConnell family would get a file name like this: 119MCCgp.tif

And a 2006 photograph of the Jacobs family would get a file name like this: 206JACgp.tif

Is the 8.3 rule still necessary?
Maybe not. I asked Paul Hedges, Director of IT for the Wisconsin Historical Society, and he told me he uses longer file names for his family history documents. Here’s his summary of the situation:

“8.3 and 31 and 255 are supported across all the major operating systems. 8.3 is probably the safest, but lacks the flexibility to provide useful names. In the end, pick a standard, stick with it, and you’ll be OK.”

For more information about file naming protocols, Paul suggested the following articles at wikipedia:

8.3 Filenames
Long Filename
ISO 9660
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© Photographer: Cristian Nitu | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Musical curio cabinet of obsolete technology

July 8, 2007

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