Freedom and Flexibility Through Digitization
by Marcia Spicer I recently heard from a curator whose exhibit had been prematurely removed from display. They were understandably upset; detailed work had gone into carefully selecting items from their larger collection, creating displays, and editing placards. They also knew that the history the collection conveyed was important. But a decision-maker who saw the […]
Access Is Essential!, Part 2
by Shana Scott As I outlined in my last post, the purpose of preservation is to protect an object, document, or other material and ensure it lasts for future generations to see and use. I talked about accessibility and what it means for all types of people accessing physical collections. Here’s a statement that very […]
Learn: What is a Digital Collection or Digital Library?
Whether you’re a researcher, student, librarian, or bibliophile, it’s likely you’ve accessed a digital collection or enjoyed a digital library. Using these convenient resources may lead you to wonder how to make your own collection sharable online. Learn about the concepts of digital collections and digital libraries in this Anderson Archival explainer. What Is a […]
Threads of Connection: An Interview with Mark Anderson
by Marcia Spicer In the busyness of our daily routines, it isn’t often that I get to sit down with one of Anderson Archival’s Founding Principals Mark Anderson. But we recently met to discuss our clients, favorite solutions, and what makes history so important to the present. Mark, thanks for taking some time to chat! […]
The Journey to Digitization
by Marcia Spicer Last weekend, my family was invited to dinner at a restaurant. Shortly after food was served, my youngest began melting down. Then, earlier this morning, I had to reschedule a meeting with a potential client. When we made the plans, everything looked great, then life happened. Just like planning a meeting or […]
The Magic of Digital Restoration . . . Hint: It’s Not Magic
by Shana Scott If you watch police procedurals like I do, then you’ve seen the most grainy and blurry photos and videos magically render themselves back together thanks to digital restoration. Like many things on TV, the reality of digital restoration doesn’t match. There are limits to what can be enhanced or restored using digital […]
Putting a Price on Peace of Mind
by Marcia Spicer No one likes to talk about cost, especially not the ones sending the bill. In the world of digitization, pricing without context can be a deciding factor for many clients, and it is understandably one of the first questions we field. However, digitization is much more than simply scanning a document. […]
What the FADGI!
by Shana Scott If you’ve dipped a toe into the best practices for digitizing a collection, you’ve probably heard the term FADGI thrown about. Scanning manufacturers tout being FADGI three-star or four-star compliant to better sell their product, and articles on beginning digitization suggest following FADGI guidelines. But what is FADGI and why should you […]
Copyright and Your Digital Collection
by Marcia Spicer Anderson Archival are not lawyers, nor should this explainer constitute legal advice. Outside of the publishing world, copyright isn’t always a topic that comes up with any frequency. For many archives and collection owners, what they don’t know scares them. Are you suddenly faced with confusing questions of copyright, legality, and access? […]
Repairing Gaps in History
Anyone who’s dabbled in genealogy knows the frustration of trying to find information many generations back, but African Americans seeking information on their ancestors have unique problems. Those who trace their roots back to enslaved people often struggle to find any records or even names to continue their search. Director Marybeth Niederkorn of the Cape […]
