Using Digital Cameras to Preserve Historical Materials in the Field

A Best Practices Manual

by

J. Stephen Catlett

David Gwynn

Megan Coker

Rachel Sanders

Digital Projects Unit

http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/

University Libraries

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

June 2014

Table of Contents

Part I: Why should I do this? ......................................................................................................................... 1

Why digital preservation? ......................................................................................................................... 1

Can a local institution help me? ................................................................................................................ 2

Can you show me an example of what you are talking about? ................................................................ 2

Part II: What should I digitize? ...................................................................................................................... 5

How do I choose what to preserve? ......................................................................................................... 5

What are some of the things I should think about when deciding what to digitize? ............................... 5

Part III: What equipment do I need? ............................................................................................................ 7

Okay, so what are some of the tools I need to get started? ..................................................................... 7

Can't I just use a flatbed scanner and not worry about all these issues? ............................................... 16

Part IV: Quick set-up procedures ................................................................................................................ 17

1. Find a suitable place to put your copy platform/board ...................................................................... 17

2. Attach your camera to the tripod ....................................................................................................... 17

3. Line up screen grid with platform grid, ............................................................................................... 17

4. “Lock Down” the tripod’s feet ............................................................................................................ 18

5. Place the target on the copy platform/stand .................................................................................... 18

6. Place the item to be copied on the copy platform/stand: .................................................................. 19

7. Will the item stay flat? ........................................................................................................................ 20

8. Is all the material the same size? ........................................................................................................ 20

9. Now the Fun Part ................................................................................................................................ 20

Part V: What happens after I take the pictures? ........................................................................................ 21

Organizing the digital files ...................................................................................................................... 21

Sharing the images .................................................................................................................................. 21

Long-term storage and backup: .............................................................................................................. 22

Appendix 1: Local, regional & national resources ...................................................................................... 24

Local Archivists & Librarians (as of 2014) ............................................................................................... 24

Local Digital Specialists ........................................................................................................................... 25

Local Conservators: ................................................................................................................................. 25

Conservation Resources: How Bests To Take Care of Your Valuable Materials ................................... 25

Information: National Websites: ............................................................................................................ 26

Archival Supplies & Vendors ................................................................................................................... 26

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Part I: Why should I do this?

Why digital preservation?

Believe it or not you or your family’s, or your organization’s history is unique and

preserving at least some of it in a digital, more easily accessible format, is one

longtime gift you can make to your family, your organization, and your community.

Actually most professional librarians and archivists, and digital media specialists, will readily tell you that

digital media (hard drives, flash drives, cds and dvds) are not a preservation medium. Their basic point

being that the electronic bits and bytes used to reproduce and save digital copies of historical materials

is stored on digital media that will not last over time, especially when compared to the “old” media like

paper or even microfilm.

Trying to save valuable personal or family archival material (documents, letters, printed items,

photographs, etc.) by digitizing them with a scanner or a camera can still be a way to preserve them, and

it will definitely make them potentially more accessible to family, friends, and the wider community if

you are interested in that (we are!), but this process by itself is not a long-term preservation medium.

It is true, however, that once an item has been digitized it can readily and easily be recopied time and

time again to the next storage medium. In fact, this is a necessary activity for any items you digitize that

you hope to make available for a very long time. Because if you wait too many years, the original disc or

drive may have deteriorated such that nothing remains on the media to view, or, it will be stored on

what has become a very old technology and thus difficult if not impossible to copy over to an up-to-date

device.

So, if the above is true, why would we create a best practices manual to show you how to “preserve”

your historical materials in the location where you live or work?

Well, we think there are lots of good reasons:

1. You just never know when the dogs are going to eat your

homework or priced possessions!

2. Your own history is important not only to you but, more

than you probably realize, to others as well.

3. The chances of your original material being permanently

preserved in a professional, well run library or archival

credit

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institution is probably not that great.1

4. Capturing at least some of your archival history by digitizing it is better than saving none of it

(see 1 above).

5. You might not think that your own life or history is important but, believe us (because we have

seen it time and time again), your children, grandchildren and lots of people in your community

will.

Can a local institution help me?

The chances are that you have a local institution who might be able to assist you in some way, whether

it is just giving you advice on how to take care of your personal or organizational treasures, or even just

whether the material you have has historical value to the wider world. Our guess would be, yes. Here in

Greensboro, N.C. there are numerous libraries, archives, and even museums, who are available to help,

as can be seen in Appendix 1. In fact, this best practices manual is actually the result of the efforts of

the Digital Projects Unit of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro University Libraries, whose

mission includes helping to preserve not only the history of the university but also engaging the wider

community by helping to preserve and save, often by partnering with local institutions, the city’s

valuable, diverse history.2

Can you show me an example of what you are talking about?

The Digital Projects Unit recently partnered on a grant with College Place United Methodist Church

(Preserving Local History: A Field-Based Digitization Pilot Project) to test concepts and procedures for

taking digital cameras into the field to capture some of their yet-to-be digitized historical materials.

What we learned from this project forms the basis of this best practices manual, and also the beginning

of our Community Collections website.

The process we undertook can, we believe, be replicated by you or a small group of people in your

organization, or at home. Here is a brief outline of the steps involved:

1 We are in fact huge advocates of donating historical material to your local institutions, or to universities or

colleges or any other institution with whom you have a connection and who collect historical materials; we would

certainly encourage you to pursue those opportunities if they exist. But, in reality, much of the history we create

as individuals or groups will probably not find a permanent home beyond the walls that currently contain it. The

other thing to keep in mind is that these local or regional archives and libraries, even if they are not interested in

acquiring some of your materials, are very happy to give you advice about the best ways to help protect your

originals. See Appendix 1 below for local contacts and resources. 2 For more information about the Digital Projects Unit see: http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/ and

http://library.uncg.edu/dp/

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1. Discuss with your family or your organization what is important and worth digitizing.

2. Select which of these items to digitize.

3. Select your equipment (our step by step information in this manual will show you how).

4. Document what you shoot on the initial camera frame & in other documents (paper, word processing program) where you give a brief initial description of the item, e.g. “Church register, membership, baptisms, 1914+”.

5. The most important thing to do … spend lots of upfront time setting up/stabilizing the equipment. You will learn in this document about good, low cost ways to do this.

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6. Now, the fun part … photograph lots of items in a relatively short amount of time! OK, there is significant time required afterward to prepare your files, but nothing of value or worth doing comes easily.

7. Save the scans on at least two separate digital media (cds, flash drives, computer hard drives, etc.) and keep them in separate locations. - Upload the material to your own website, your organization’s website, or, better yet, with a local institution or local/regional web portal. We provided this for CPUMC, and a couple of other local organizations (and will continue to do this in the future) through our Community Collections website.

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Part II: What should I digitize?

How do I choose what to preserve?

The online survey we conducted as part of Preserving Local History: A Field-Base Digitization Project

showed that the most popular items that local groups and organizations would choose to digitize if they

could were, in this order:

1. Photographs

2. Correspondence

3. Pamphlets (small printed items, like capsule histories, etc.)

4. Deeds/Marriage certificates (there were numerous churches who participated)

5. Artifacts (three-dimensional objects)

6. Architectural plans

What are some of the things I should think about when deciding what to

digitize?

The best items to start with are usually those that are important to you, or your

organization.

● Are there things that you would like to access more easily?

● Are there diaries or meeting minutes, or really cool/interesting graphics and photographs that

you often look at or remember?

Is there a big upcoming event, like a milestone birthday, significant anniversary,

or even a wedding or big event?

● Look ahead and think about such events in coming months or years.

● This would be a good opportunity to digitize some of this old memorabilia to use in a slide show,

or put on a poster or an invitation.

● Once you digitize it, and use it in an event of some type, it can become a great promotional tool

for doing even more.3

3 One decision our project made was to choose at least a few items that had visual appeal. We chose photographs, some interesting scrapbooks, and even some architectural plans/elevations from College Place Methodist Church (which were a real challenge) to include in our Community Collections website.

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Do you need to impress someone in your organization?

● If you need your boss’s or the organization’s board support (or maybe just your wife’s or

husband’s!) in order to get some funding to take care of or digitize your historical materials,

then think about copying/digitizing items that might be of interest to them in some way.

● How about digitizing their portraits! OK, it doesn’t have to be quite that obvious.

● Still, instead of those “interesting” quarterly reports or other (potentially) important but less

exciting items which you have been dying to digitize for years, maybe think about starting with

some interesting photographs or old posters, or important documents that might grab people’s

attention.

● Again, look ahead to what is on an upcoming agenda in the next six months or a year

(organizational or family) that could be enhanced by including some historical components to it.

Do you have in your possession some really interesting items that might be relevant? Digitize

some of those and make them available well in advance, and then promote them to the

organizers.

● Of course the ideal situation is for people to already know some of the treasures you have and

come to you to ask about getting digital versions. But, hey, sometimes you need to be proactive

and prepared for launch!

Of course you may also have many items that may be in very poor condition,

difficult even to hold or to turn a page.

● If particularly valuable either historically (to you, or your organization) and perhaps even

monetarily valuable, you might very well need to reach out to professionals to handle the

digitization.

● But many personal/family/organizational items can still be handled, even though they may be in

poor condition. You might think about working with and digitizing these items first.

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Part III: What equipment do I need?

Okay, so what are some of the tools I need to get started?

For our project, we tested several cameras, experimented with several ways to create a low cost

portable platform (or copy board/stand), and searched for inexpensive ways to help stabilize the items

on the copy stand if they did not want to stay flat on the board.4 This is what we found:

A. Cameras

Here are the four cameras we tested. The iPhone was a last minute decision, and was not used

extensively, but rather we wanted to see how this fairly widely available/used camera would compare to

3 the three main, dedicated cameras we used.

$100 $650 $1100

1. Grid Screens

A screen with a grid pattern on it was available on all of these camera’s displays and, as we note below

in Part IV, this is a very important feature to have because it helps to “square” up the image. The

advantage? If everything is squared/leveled/parallel at the start, the images will be much easier to

straighten and crop (if necessary at all) and prepare for their future use (on the web, in a publication,

etc.)

Item that is pretty square/level

Item that is not square/level

4 The Fopydo portable copy stand came to our attention late and we did not test it. However the reviews look promising and at $30 we will probably test it in the future. http://fopydo.com/

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2. Sensor Sizes

In general a camera with a bigger sensor size (see below) -- i.e. the “film” section of the camera where

the digital image file is captured -- will have better resolution, and less digital “noise” (see below)

Sensor size is different than the “megapixels” that are usually touted as a selling feature. In general, point and shoot cameras, and phone cameras have very small sensors (because the devices are small!), whereas bigger cameras (like DSLR’s, i.e. Nikon D7000 & the Sony above) have bigger sensors. Sensor size comparisons (below shows the relative, not actual, sizes):

Digital noise:

But, as you will see under Part IV (steps 1-4), basic techniques are just as important as the camera you

use. So, don’t let the fact that you might not have an expensive, “professional” level camera keep you

from photographing your historical materials.

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3. Focusing

All of our cameras had automatic focusing, but the Sony and Nikon also had manual focusing. The Sony’s

was more difficult to engage, so we did not use that in our tests. We did use the Nikon DSLR’s (Digital

Single Lens Reflex) manual focus a lot, since it is easy to engage, and you can see the item/focus on the

screen easily.

The advantage to manual focus?

● Once you have your copy stand/camera/

tripod “locked down”, with the item to be

copied all set up and in sharp focus, the

camera will hold that focus as you turn the

pages (unless you accidently hit/turn the

lens barrel).

● Also, auto focus modes on digital cameras

can often “hunt around” for the perfect

focus, which can be pretty annoying and

frustrating, which is when manual focus can

really be handy to have.

The disadvantage?

● You have to remember that the camera is in manual mode, because if you change items on the

stand, and do not refocus when you put the next item on it, the images may no longer be sharp.

Our advice:

● For most people it makes sense to use automatic focus, but just be sure you check the image

sharpness when you are setting up, and periodically as you go along.

● If you know your camera well, and it has manual focus, and if you run into a situation where the

camera is “hunting around” trying to find proper focus, then certainly use the manual mode.

4. Exposure, F-Stop and depth of field

Using the camera’s automatic exposure is normally sufficient to get good exposure, so try that first.

Also, it is very possible that your camera will not have any manual modes at all. However, if it does,

keep the following in mind:

If the camera has an “Aperture Priority” mode -- also known as, or appears as, “A”, or “AV” (aperture

value) -- then take it off of automatic, and engage this mode.

A note about manual focus on a DSLR:

It is easy to engage most DSLR’s (see this image

from a Nikon), from Auto Focus to Manual.

Once in manual mode, it

is easy to focus the lens

by turning it, plus, you

can see easily the result

either in the eyepiece

viewfinder, or on the

actual screen in most

recent models, right away.

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Why? Your camera will be on a tripod, so a fast shutter speed (also known as shutter priority, or “S”, or

“TV”, for timer value”) is not as important. An automatic, or a shutter priority setting could change the

exposure appearance. An aperture priority setting will generally not vary as much, since the aperture

opening stays the same and only the shutter speed changes. On the other hand, a shutter priority

setting means you have a constant shutter speed, but the aperture size/opening will vary, which can

sometimes cause some issues.

The “F-Stop” of the camera (which will probably be set automatically in most camera, except for DSLR’s

(“Digital Single Lens Reflex, like our Nikon D7000, or advanced point and shoots) is important to be

aware of, if your camera (or your knowledge/skill) allow you to control it. If you can control the

aperture, use an f-stop that is not too large (e.g. like f1.8 or f2.8, in example A below), since this will

cause a very shallow depth of field, where the plane of focus is very narrow. See an explanation of

exposure and focal lengths here.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you can control it, it’s better to have an f-stop setting of around f5.6 or f8-11,

where an item will have a wider plane of focus, as seen in example B below, as opposed to example A,

which probably had a setting of f2.0 or lower. BUT, don’t stress if you cannot control for that, rather,

just check your particular camera set up and the images it is producing and make certain they are in

focus.

For more information about camera exposure, see this wiki website.

Lens with a large aperture/opening, and shallow depth of field (e.g. f1.8)

Lens with a small aperture/opening, and a wider depth of field (e.g. f8-11)

B. Tripods

This is a vital, essential piece of equipment. It is impossible to hand hold a camera and get as sharp an image as you can using a tripod. So, plan on that expense if you don’t have one. Or, see if a friend or colleague already has a tripod that you can borrow and try out. That's what we did for the project.

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The good:

● The right price (team member loan)! ● It was sturdy, light-weight aluminum

Not as good:

● It was difficult at times to get close to the table, so the item would be fully in the frame, which will be true of most tripods without an extension (see below).

● There were issues with shadows from tripod legs, in some lighting situations. Solutions:

● Straddling the table or copy/platform, in some fashion as seen above, was one approach we found that worked for our tripod.

● Whatever your solution, once you find it, “lock” everything down with duct tape so nothing moves.

Are you buying a new tripod? If so, consider buying one, whether new or old, with an extension arm, or the capability of adding one, like those pictured here at right. This will solve the issue of not being able to get close enough to the copy platform/stand, and also any problems you may have with the legs casting shadows on an item. You can also buy just an extension arm for an existing tripod too, e.g. those made by Photek.

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C. Copy Platforms & Stands

Since our project was designed to explore the use of lightweight, portable approaches to copying

historical material, we chose to use various non-traditional, relatively inexpensive materials that we

could take into the field with little difficulty.

We used a magnetic dry erase board, green grid cutting mat, and wedge sleeping pillow, as follows: 1. Dry Erase Board:

● Works well with thin magnetic strips that can hold corners down. ● Had small grind printed on it, but was impossible to see in a camera screen, so we used a piece of

blue graph paper, on which we highlighted the lines in black, which made them easy to see. ● If you have the board titled at a 45 degree angle, which is good for setting up the camera, items

have a tendency to slip down the board. We were able to adhere bigger magnetics at the bottom which would keep items in place.

● Many items open well & lay flat (on all surfaces) which makes the copying process go very quickly.

2. Mat-Cutting Board (self-healing):

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● The grid board was very easy to see on the camera screen, the surface was not slippery (like the magnetic board).

● It does require, however, that it be placed on a table, or board, because the grid board itself is very “floppy.”

3. Wedge sleeping pillow:

This might be the best solution we tested:

● It is lightweight & can take long push pins being inserted into it, to stabilize items. ● The pillow case fabric (even with the grid fabric on we placed on it, at right) is very “tacky”, and

the wedge is an ideal angle for tripod/camera. ● It was necessary to find a way to make the wedge pillow case more visible, and we found pre-

printed grid fabric that we could adhere to the surface (with Velcro; you could just tack the corners & middle with thread too).

4. Copy stands (traditional):

We did not use a traditional copy stand since they are generally not portable. However, we are certainly

not opposed to using them. Here is a link to some excellent information about their use with cameras.

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Advantage?

● It is a stable platform, and everything is square/aligned, and if there are lights attached, or the

possibility to attach lights, even better since one can get even illumination of the items.

Disadvantages?

● It will probably be too heavy to carry around, and there may be items that are too big to put on

the baseboard so the camera will not be able to capture it in one image.

Our Advice?

● If you are an individual with a lot of material to copy, or an organization anticipating a lot of

material to digitize -- and will be doing the work in one location, not moving around like we were

-- if you can get access to a traditional copy stand (even if used, or a loaner) we would highly

recommend it.

D. Stabilizing Devices: How to keep items flat?

We tried various methods to keep items flat, so that they would stay in the “plane of focus” near the

surface of the copy boards.

1. Piece of Glass:

We had some success with using a piece of

glass (pulled from an unused 11x14 inch

photo frame, which we taped around the

edges to protect our hands from getting cut).

This can work very well, but only for single

page items (a letter, or photograph, etc.), or

very thin pamphlets or brochures, which

pages are not bulky. So, it might not work for

every situation/item, and there is also the

issue of carrying it with you with the chance

of breaking, etc. (so, if you do, probably put it

in a cardboard protected sleeve.)

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2. Magnetic strips, pointers, even fingers:

We had various degrees of success with these methods, the biggest drawback being that they will

usually be seen in the final digitized image.

● Magnetic strips will probably be visible in the image (see at left below), but can be found and cut

to whatever size you might need. For example see here (or do a web or Amazon search under

“magnetic tape”)

● Pointers, if they are long enough (e.g. middle below was too short, but one on the right was

better) they will probably not be as noticeable.

● Telescoping Pointers: We did not use these, but they could be an inexpensive approach,

especially if you take apart some old TV rabbit ears In addition, since they can expand to a

couple of feet or more, one person could possibly hold two of them, placing one on opposite

sides of an item.

E. Computer software

Since this entire process is digital, you will definitely need some computer software in order to process

and finalize the digital files you have taken. The basic functions required of the software are:

1. Ability to rename the files, from the initial title given by the camera, e.g. _DSC4631.jpg, to

something short but descriptive, e.g. photo 001.jpg, or postcard 001.jpg

2. Ability to crop the images (individually, or as a group). If the images you take have wide borders

around them, or if the borders are not pretty consistent in size, then you will need to crop them.

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That is a good reason to set up the camera and item as carefully as you can in the very

beginning, so the image you capture will not need much manipulation/editing.

Here are examples of free, or low cost software that you could use. But, as always, if you are already

using something that you are familiar with, which can do these basic edits, then use it. Also, check to

see if there is an existing program on your computer that you have never used,.

● Picasa (free) http://picasa.google.com/

● Gimp (free) http://www.gimp.org

● Fotor (free, online) http://www.fotor.com/ (and see this video)

● Photoshop Elements ($99 or less) http://goo.gl/tfw8al

Can't I just use a flatbed scanner and not worry about all these issues?

Our project was designed to test portable, affordable, easy to set-up equipment, which we hope to use in the future for digitizing local historical materials in homes, businesses and organizations. But to answer your question, yes, of course you can use a scanner. In fact, a scanner and computer might be your best solution, especially if you have a dedicated space to set them up. And it’s possible your organization already has an office scanner/printer that could work. Advantages to using scanners:

● The quality can be much better, if you use the best settings available. ● No need to worry about lighting, items being flat and out of line/square (it can still be an issue

for bound volumes, see below, but for single items, or small pamphlets, not so much)

Disadvantages:

● More complicated items (bound volumes of any type) have to be turned upside down, and you cannot see how they align until you do a scan.

● Bound items in poor condition can be further harmed, and items can even fall out when you turn the volume upside down.

● Although quality is better it takes a lot longer to do a scan. In our camera tests of two items (shot by 4 cameras, and scanned with our Epson XL10000 scanner) the shortest time to digitize the same item was 10-13 minutes with the cameras, compared to 32-39 minutes for the Epson scanner.

● Scanners have a fixed size glass size, so larger items cannot be scanned in one pass and may have to be scanned in several parts, whereas a camera normally has a zoom lens, which will allow you to adjust the frame to capture the entire page.

There are excellent resources and information on the web about using scanners to digitize materials, here is one example (see especially chapters 2 & 3.)

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Part IV: Quick set-up procedures

1. Find a suitable place to put your copy platform/board

● Best location is a window with natural light and no sun, giving even illumination.

● If there is only overhead light, try to position copy board to avoid glare as much as possible.

● If you are setting up in a semi-permanent location (at home, or organization) having two lights

(on stands, or clipped on, at each side, at a rough 45 degree angle) would be ideal, e.g.

Even northern light illumination

Artificial light at 45 degree angles

A note about color balance:

Most cameras are set on “auto white balance,” which means that it senses/measures the color of

the light, and adjusts the balance accordingly. It is probably best to keep it on that setting, but if

the initial images seem a bit off, and you know how to check/change the setting, certainly consider

manually adjusting your camera's white balance. Check out this helpful wiki.

2. Attach your camera to the tripod

Position it close to the copy platform/board. The tripod may need to straddle a table to get close

enough, permitting the proper angle/alignment of camera & board.

3. Line up screen grid with platform grid,

Look through camera eyepiece or its screen, and adjust the camera/tripod mount so the two grids are as

close to parallel/squared as possible; you might not get it perfect, but get as close as you can. This will

make for much easier alignment and cropping in the final, processing phase of your digitization project.

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4. “Lock Down” the tripod’s feet

If at all possible, do this, and also do it for the copy platform/stand. If you can use duct tape, well that is

an inexpensive solution. But if not that, maybe some type of “sandbag” weight (at least for the legs).

Most Important Are Steps 1-4 Above: If you take your time, and do all of the above procedures, your

chances of getting a very acceptable image -- no matter the camera you are using -- will increase

tremendously. So, be sure to spend this up front time setting up.

5. Place the target on the copy platform/stand

Include at least:

Name of the organization/person (if you have a lot of items to do, just create a word processing

version)

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Date of the digitization

Name of the item (or, if you are keeping a separate numbered list of items, just the item

number).

6. Place the item to be copied on the copy platform/stand:

Align its edges with the grid squares.

Check that image in the camera eyepiece, or on its screen, fills the screen but allows space all

around.

Note: On many cameras, what you see on the focusing screen might not represent what will

actually be captured, so it is wise to leave some space around all edges of the item. On the other

hand, don’t leave too much space, because you want to use maximum number of pixels that the

camera has, to capture the image, so that you will get the best quality image.

Leaving enough space around sided

Leaving too much space

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7. Will the item stay flat?

If not, secure it to the copy board/stand using one of the methods as outlined in Part III, D above.

8. Is all the material the same size?

If not, this can be a challenge, so be prepared to

tackle that issue, which can slow down the process

quite a bit.

9. Now the Fun Part

Begin taking photographs!

Consider using the self-timer (if the camera has

one) to prevent camera shake. If your camera does

not have a self-timer, or you do not know how to

engage it, be gentle in pressing the shutter button.

Important:

After you take the first image, check to see:

a. Are all the outer edges of the item visible?

b. Is the image sharp? Use the camera’s enlargement tool to zoom in on the screen to check

sharpness.

c. Is the image fairly well exposed, not too dark and not too light?

d. It is a good idea to check as you go through the items you are shooting, periodically, to see if the

focus and exposure is still good.

Note About Different Size Items:

If an item/group to be digitized has various sizes

included in it, like a folder with lots of items, e.g.

8x10 photos and 4x6 photos, or different size

pamphlet or printed items, and, if you can

determine that there is no particular order, then

you could set up your camera to first digitize all

the items of roughly one size, then change the

zoom lens to capture the other size items.

This would be more efficient than having to

change the zoom range/size every few items

If, however, there is a set sequence to the

material, like in a scrapbook, you will have to

digitize in that order, and adjust the camera as

necessary.

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Part V: What happens after I take the pictures?

Organizing the digital files

You can make your life much easier by having a plan for organizing and storing your digital files in

advance. You might opt for using the free photo management software that may come with your

computer (e.g. Apple’s iPhoto) or by purchasing something more advanced.

At a minimum, though, you will probably want to create folders that fit the logical arrangement of the

items you’re scanning or photographing. For instance, you might want to have folders containing all the

letters written by one person or all the material related to a certain church event or family reunion. The

worst thing you could do would be just to drop all your digital files into one place with no arrangement

or hierarchy. Think about it; you (or more importantly, someone else) would never be able to find

anything.

You might also want to consider writing a few sentences of text about what a folder contains and saving

that it the same folder as the digital images. Even better (but much more time consuming) would be an

inventory listing each photo and a caption. Microsoft Excel spreadsheets work nicely for creating such an

inventory, and Google Docs is a free, web-based alternative. If you do an inventory, be sure to include

the filename as one column so you know what information goes with which photo!

Sharing the images

Your main goal may simply be to have images available internally for your organization or family

members. If so, then you’ll be fine saving them locally on a computer and maybe on CDs or flash drives

(but see the section on preservation and backups below).

On the other hand, if you want to make them available to a wider audience online, you have several

options, many of which are available with no cost as long as you have an internet connection:

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● flickr offers considerable free storage space for photos and permits you to decide whether your

images will be avilable to everyone, just you, or to friends and contacts you can set. You can add

captions and tags as well as create albums and groupings of photographs. You do not, however,

really have the option of doing customized web pages that talk about your organization.

● Cloud-based file storage systems such as Dropbox, Apple’s iCloud, and Google Drive also allow

you to store files in a sort of cloud-based extension of your own computer. Many of these sites

also allow you to share files with your friends or the public but, like flickr, not on customized

web pages.

● Free web hosting options, such as Wordpress, Weebly, Wix, or Google Sites, will allow you to set

up an actual website with pages you can more fully control. Many of them have options to

create blogs and photo album pages, and some will allow you to include photos that are stored

on flickr in a more customized way. These options generally require relatively little technology

background to create a basic site and some allow more customization for advanced users.

● Low-cost web hosting options, like Pair or Dreamhost allow you build fully customized websites

but also require that you know how to do this from the ground up.

Many of these options also allow you to permit user tagging and comments, which is a great way to

involve other members of your group (or the public) in describing the images, adding details you might

know, and sharing stories in general.

Long-term storage and backup:

As we state early in this manual, digitization is not considered to be a foolproof method of long-term

preservation. There are things you can do, however, to maximize the viability of your digital images:

Backup early and often:

You cannot have too many backups stored in too many different places. You should have at least THREE

copies of everything stored in THREE DIFFERENT physical locations. Consider keeping one copy at home,

one at your office or someone else’s home, and maybe one in a safe-deposit box or other secure setting-

-in addition to an online or cloud-based backup/website. And remember to update ALL these backups

regularly as your collection grows.

Use stable media:

CDs and DVDs (optical media) that you burn on your home computer are wonderfully convenient ways

to store materials in the short term and to provide other people with copies. However, they are NOT a

safe way to store digital files for a long period of time. Optical media degrades relatively quickly,

particularly the type used with home computers. These disks are also subject to many harmful

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environmental factors. Despite the additional cost, it’s much better to use multiple magnetic devices

(e.g. internal or external hard drives). You might even consider just saving copies on multiple computers

in different places. Again, consider also using an online or cloud-based option and remember to update

ALL these backups as your collection grows.

Check your backups:

A corrupted backup is no good to anyone. Don’t forget to check your backup media frequently to make

sure they’re still functional and accessible.

Consider partnering with a larger institution:

As we’ve mentioned above, local libraries, historical societies, and others may be interested in obtaining

your materials and handling their long-term storage. At a minimum, archivists and librarians at these

institutions may be able to provide advice. They may also be aware of grant programs and other sources

of funding that could help you in your mission. See contacts in the appendices below.

Here in Digital Projects, we would love to hear from you if you have questions about using cameras to

digitize your historical material, or if you would like advice on what to do with your materials. If we

can't help you, we can put you in touch with someone who can.

David Gwynn, Digital Projects Coordinator

224 Jackson Library, UNCG

jdgwynn@uncg.edu

336.256.2606

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Appendix 1: Local, regional & national resources

Local Archivists & Librarians (as of 2014)

If you have questions about organizing or taking care of your archival/library materials, or about

the best ways to digitize your materials, please contact one of the professionals below..

Elise Allison: Archivist, Greensboro Historical Museum.

336.373.2976 | Elise.Alllison@greensboro-nc.gov | http://archives.greensborohistory.org/

NOTE: GHM collects local historical materials from individuals, families, businesses and

groups/organizations. The Museum will also answer your questions and provide you with basic

information about the proper boxes, folders, and best ways to handle and store your materials.

Tim Cole: Information Services and Collection Development Manager, Greensboro Pub. Library

336.373.2466 | John.Cole@greensboro-nc.gov

Gwen Erickson: Friends Librarian/Archivist, Guilford College, Friends Historical Collection

336.316.2264 | gerickso@guilford.edu | http://library.guilford.edu/friends-historical-collection/

David Gwynn: Digital Projects Coordinator, University Libraries, UNCG (for information about digital

issues)

336.256.2606 | jdgwynn@uncg.edu | http://library.uncg.edu/dp/ | http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/

Jennifer Motszko: Manuscript Archivist, Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections/University

Archives, UNCG

336.256.1111 | j_motszk@uncg.edu | http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/

NOTE: UNCG collects local historical materials from alumni, individuals and local groups and

organizations

Gloria Pitts: Archivist, Bluford Library, NC A&T State University

336.285.4221 | gloriap@ncat.edu | http://www.library.ncat.edu/resources/archives/archives-

contents

William W. Ritter, Library Directory, James Addison Jones Library, Greensboro College

336.272.7102 | will.ritter@greensboro.edu | http://www.greensboro.edu/library

Joan Williams: Library Director, Holgate Library, Bennett College

336.517.2139 | jwilliams@bennett.edu | http://library.bennett.edu/

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Local Digital Specialists

Ian Bartholomew: A&V Company, 4238 Piedmont Parkway, Greensboro, N.C. 27410

336.292.9700 | ebartholomew@avcompany.com | http://avcompany.com/services/in-house-av-

services/

[Assistance with the commercial digitizing of your analog media.]

Local Conservators:

Isabella Baltar: Preservation Services

336.644.3197 | http://triadbookbinding.com/

Jane Sugarman: Paper Conservation, 602 S. Elm St. #5, Greensboro, NC 27406

336.272.1355 | Sugarmanj@gmail.com | http://www.art-care.com/providers/jane-sugarman-paper-

conservation.html

ECSConservation: 6204 Corporate Park Drive, Browns Summit, NC 27214

800.444.7534 | ecs@hfgroup.com | http://www.ecsconservation.com/what-we-do/

Note: Formerly, and more generally known, as Etherington Conservation. They are a national/

internationally known conservation business. They offer free consultations.

Conservation Resources: How Bests To Take Care of Your Valuable

Materials

Information: Local/State Websites:

Greensboro Historical Museum: Collections Care & Conservation

http://greensborohistory.org/collections-archives/collections-care-and-conservation

Greensboro Historical Museum: Preserving Paper

http://archives.greensborohistory.org/preserving-paper

UNC Greensboro: Preservation of Library Collections

http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/access_services/preservation.aspx

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office: Links to Historic Preservation Resources

http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/links.htm

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Information: National Websites:

American Institute for Conversation: COOL (Conservation OnLine)

http://cool.conservation-us.org/

Library of Congress: Digital Preservation

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/

Library of Congress: Personal Archiving: Preserving Your Digital Memories

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/

Library of Congress: Personal Archiving: Personal Digital Archiving Day Kit

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/padKit/index.html

BookArtsWeb: Preservation & Conservation Links

http://www.philobiblon.com/pressite.shtml

National Park Service: Conserve O Grams

http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html

Smithsonian Institution: Museum Conservation Institute

http://www.si.edu/mci/

Northeast Document Conservation Center: NEDCC Preservation Leaflets (free info & downloads)

http://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/overview

Archival Supplies & Vendors

The Scrapbook Preservation Society’s FAQ page includes many short answers to archival quality

supplies questions.

http://www.scrapbookpreservationsociety.com/faq.htm#preservation

Local Suppliers:

The major office and craft supply businesses (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Office Depot, Staples, etc.)

do have archival quality supplies. However, it is important to look at the labeling closely.

National Archival Suppliers (many libraries & archives purchase from these vendors):

Conservation Resources International (Springfield, VA)

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http://www.conservationresources.com/

DEMCO (Madison, WI) Click on Products/Archival.

http://www.demco.com

Gaylord (Syracuse, NY). Archival Supplies

http://www.gaylord.com/archivalsupplies.asp

Hollinger Metal Edge (Fredericksburg, VA)

http://www.hollingermetaledge.com/

Light Impressions (Rochester, NY)

http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/

University Products (Holyoke, MA) Archival (ink on webpage)

http://www.universityproducts.com/