These days, it's not unusual to hear genealogists talk about digitization as a “document preservation” technique. That's like calling catsup a serving of vegetables. (And just because the U.S. Department of Agriculture did that several administrations ago didn't make it so!)
Think of it this way: scanning an early 19th century family letter doesn’t actually “preserve” the original letter any more than photographing an early 19th century tombstone “preserves” the stone.
Since you'll still have the original paper document to deal with after you scan it, where do you turn to learn about the current “best practices” for its long-term care and preservation? It just makes sense to hear what some of the “big guns” in the preservation field have to say. Ginger Yowell of the Smithsonian Institution Archives has just tackled the information problem by directing researchers to some great advice from the country's experts in her current post titled “What Shall I Do With All This Stuff?!?” on the Smithsonian's “The Bigger Picture” blog.
Got stuff? Ms. Yowell's post, with its links to expert advice from the Northeast Document Conservation Center, the National Archives, the Library of Congress and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, will help you take the proper steps to keep your family treasures intact for future generations.
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