A scary reminder to back up your data…
January 25, 2008
MAJOR OOPS!
Wired News – AP News
- Software error at Charter Communications deletes 14,000 email accounts.
- No chance of recovery
- (except for data backed up by customers)
“There is no way to retrieve the messages, photos and other attachments that were erased from inboxes and archive folders across the country on Monday, said Anita Lamont, a spokeswoman for the suburban St. Louis-based company.” (Read the whole article on Wired News.)
Promise me you’ll back up your emails this weekend, OK?
How to Organize Photos: Warning! This Advice May Shock You
January 15, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, archivists do not keep everything.
Whaaat? An archivist? Throwing things out?
Yep.
I spent more time learning the art of archival appraisal than any other skill while in grad school. And by appraisal, I mean deciding what to keep and what to toss — based on what items have enduring value.
But aren’t archivists the keepers of our shared history?
Yes, but…
Here is the undeniable reality: If historical societies kept every single item that landed on their doorstep….every cancelled check… every unidentified photograph… every duplicate map… there wouldn’t be any room left for new collections. And that won’t work in the long run, will it? Hardly.
One of my archival professors likes to use this memorable rhyme: When in doubt, throw it out.
Does that mean we should toss treasures willy nilly? No! It means if you can’t think of a good reason to keep it, then it needs to go. Sometimes that means go into the trash. Sometimes that means go somewhere else (your kids, for example).
Too Many Photos Leads to Overwhelm. Overwhelm Kills Motivation.
Are you feeling so overwhelmed by your photos that you can’t get started on your photo organizing project? You are not alone.
Here’s what Mary had to say last year when I offered photo organizing tips here at The Practical Archivist Blog:
Sally, this is great – super helpful! All of my photos are in drugstore envelopes, including the ones from my honeymoon…6 years ago. Even some of our wedding photos are still in boxes.
I have avoided the task because it truly never occurred to me that it was okay to throw away my family photographs.
With this new information in hand, the idea of putting together a photo album, etc. sounds like fun because I’ll actually *like* the finished product. Because I was NOT excited about putting together an album of indistinguishable landscapes, people standing in front of things, and people eating.
The Problem Gets Bigger Over Time
I’m a mom, so I understand how difficult it can be to part with sentimental treasures like baby pictures, finger paintings, pinch pots and teeny tiny little clothes. But if you refuse to make choices and instead keep everything, you’ll have an uncontrollable mess on your hands. A mess which will only get worse the longer you ignore it.
Harsh Truth: Your grandkids are not going to want all of your vacation slides. I learned this when my husband and I inherited several photo collections from loved ones who passed on. I was happy to keep photos of relatives having fun on vacation, but I certainly didn’t need their photos of the Eiffel Tower.
You can choose to leave them everything or you can make some careful selections now. If you leave it up to the next generation you’ve lost a wonderful opportunity to share your favorites.
Deciding What To Keep
Here are some helpful guidelines:
1. Respect Age.
In family collections, age and scarcity tend to go hand in hand. For example, the only known photograph of your great great aunt Rose? Or your grandparents’ wedding? Those are keepers. They are worth the investment of high quality archival photo storage boxes and folders. These are also the ones you should scan first.
2. People Pictures.
When my husband and I were rescuing photos from our grandparents’ magnetic albums, it became obvious that certain photos weren’t worth saving. Generally speaking, what we decided to keep was pictures of our grandparents and other family members. What we skipped was vacation snapshots of mountains and buildings, and unidentified people who were strangers to us. We gave as many as we could to other family members in the hopes that those “orphan photos” could be identified.
3. Sentimental Value.
One of the wonderful things about working with family photo collections (as opposed to working in a historical society) is that sentimental value reigns supreme. Future generations will want to have your favorites.
And if you take a few moments to write down why you love a particular photograph…well, now we’re talking about a real treasure.
Find The Keepers — Even If You Can’t Bear To Throw Anything Away
Sifting through your collection and selecting your most valuable photographs is important, even if you hold onto every last one. You’ll find it much easier to decide what to scan, for example. You’ll also know which photos should be removed from a sticky magnetic album and which ones can stay in that harsh environment.
You can even start flagging photographs for inclusion in your memoirs or family history book.
- What to Keep? What to Toss?
- The Unclutterer and Photo Scanning Mills
- Kitchen vs. Cellar: A Fine Wine Analogy
.
Caring for the ephemera in your collections
January 9, 2008
Do you have ticket stubs, programs, licenses or calling cards in your family history collection?
Of course you do.
Well, it doesn’t matter if they were forgotten in the pages of a book or carefully pasted into a scrapbook…they’re all paper ephemera.
What the heck is ephemera?
The Society of American Archivists’ glossary defines ephemera as “materials, usually printed documents, created for a specific, limited purpose, and generally designed to be discarded after use.”
Today, Marty Weil over at ephemera.com included Practical Archivist in his list of Eight Essential Resources for Ephemera Collectors. I’m honored and delighted.
So. If you landed here from Marty’s place, welcome!
The Practical Archivist’s Tips for Ephemera Collectors
- Do You Know the 6 Threats To Your Paper Collectibles?
- Proper Storage Will Protect Your Ephemera Collections
Ephemera.com. If you haven’t yet discovered Marty’s blog I encourage you to check it out. stop by for a visit.
Photo Credit: 1913 Puffing Billy Train Ticket by Laineys Repertoire. Click here for license information.