Digital Preservation Library of Congress Style

Genealogists need to know a few things in order to create the highest-quality digital files that they can pass along to future generations. Things like:
  • best practices for preserving a variety of files types
  • understanding the best way to scan documents and photos that will endure the test of time.
  • efficient, automated file backup and storage practices that involve little or no effort.
 
Mike Ashenfelder knows a bit about these things because he worked in digital preservation at the Library of Congress for 16 years. Recently he published a book called “Organizing and Preserving Your Digital Stuff: Easy Steps for Saving Files Like the Library of Congress.” 
 
In this episode of Elevenses with Lisa, Mike Ashenfelder will share how you can apply these professional best practices to your precious files and get them in great shape.

Episode 75 Show Notes 

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Genealogists need to know a few things in order to create the highest-quality digital files that they can pass along to future generations. Things like:

  • best practices for preserving a variety of files types
  • understanding the best way to scan documents and photos that will endure the test of time.
  • efficient, automated file backup and storage practices that involve little or no effort.

Mike knows a bit about these things because he wrote about digital preservation at the Library of Congress for 16 years. Recently he published a book called “Organizing and Preserving Your Digital Stuff: Easy Steps for Saving Files Like the Library of Congress.” 

Digital Preservation book by Ashenfelder

Available here at Amazon. (Affiliate link – thank you for supporting this show.)

 

In this episode Mike Ashenfelder shares how you can apply these professional best practices to your precious files and get them in great shape.

Changing Digital Formats and Technology

Remember cassette tapes, 8-track tapes, long-playing vinyl albums, 78s, or how about even cylinders? The changing formats of audio over the years is a prime example of how technology keeps changing. And that change forces us as family historians to change too.

Large cultural institutions are faced with the challenge of continually changing digital formats and technology as well. According to Mike Ashenfelder, “it’ll continue to evolve…technology evolves.

Your digital camera takes JPEG photos for instance. My iPhone’s camera, it takes something called .HEIC. I’ve never heard of that up until we got this new camera. But it’s another contender, and there will no doubt be another one further down the road.

The point of my book is that you should save all files in the highest quality, so that you can pass them along to future generations. And yeah, there will always be new software, there will always be new files to save something might be better than .GEDCOM files (for genealogy). You never know. But basically, it comes down to saving, organizing and preserving things as best you can.”

Because file formats will continue to evolve, like archivists at large institutions such as the Library of Congress, it’s critical that family historians keep their eye on the latest standards and take steps to keep up before their current media is obsolete.

Digital Preservation at the Library of Congress

According to Ashenfelder, the Library of Congress received a large government grant in 2000 to study digital preservation and how other institutions were handling it. They pulled in other institutions and shared information. In the end, they discovered that generally speaking cultural institutions “all have the same basic practices.”

At the LOC, Ashenfelder wrote about digital preservation and interviewed a lot of subject matter experts. While there were many similarities, some details varied from institution to institution or project by project. But essentially, it always comes back to following standardized practices that ensured that files could be found. And that’s what we want as genealogists. We work hard to find genealogical records the first time, and no one wants to struggle to find them a second time on their own computer.

As we’ve discussed in previous videos and articles here at Genealogy Gems, well organized, easy to find files are more likely to be retained when passed onto future generations. If our files look disorganized and unnavigable, they run a greater risk of being tossed or lost.

Ashenfelder explains that institutions like the Library of Congress put naming conventions in place and stick to them. If you’d like to learn more about naming conventions and hard drive organization for your digital genealogical files, watch episodes 7 & 8 of Elevenses with Lisa, and my video class Hard Drive Organization.

Preserve Photos Like the LOC

Preserve PHotos

Scanning Photos

Scanning PHotos

File Formats

digital file formats

 

Metadata

Metadata for digital photos

Cloud Backup

I’ve used Backblaze for many years to ensure that all of my computer data is backup on the cloud offsite. Mike said that an executive at Apple recommended it to him as well. Get a free trial of Backblaze (thank you for using our affiliate link if you decide to try it out.)

Backblaze lisa louise cooke

Resources

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Walka walka walka: New Google PAC-Maps!

It may not help with genealogy, but Google Maps just got a lot more fun!

Yep, it’s PAC-Maps, and with this latest update you can find where NOT to go! Google has added imagery of “dangerous virtual beings, starting with Pinky, Blinky, Inky and Clyde. When navigating fruit-filled streets, determine at a glance which turns to pass to evade ghosts and get where you’re going safely. When you’re feeling a bit peckish, you can simply gobble up a few pac-dots or a cherry and keep on nommin’.”

I’m a little embarrassed to say how many hours I spent playing PAC-MAN in high school. Back then we had to hunch over a machine located next to the bathrooms at the local pizza parlor. Now you can take a break from your brick walls and walka walka walka around the world from the comfort of your desk. With PAC-Maps you can navigate select locations using the left, right, up or down arrows on your keyboard. Below is a screen shot from the desktop version:


 

Actually, PAC-MAN isn’t new to Googlers. Back on May 21, 2010 (yep, it’s official, I’m a Google geek) Google’s home page featured a desktop version that you can still play here.

Genealogists Google Toolbox 2nd edition coverWhen you’re ready to head back to your genealogy brick wall, take my new book with you. The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox Second Edition makes Googling for your family tree easier than every!

Today Sept. 10 Only: Virtual Conference Giveaway

Listen to the Genealogy Gems Podcast

Listen to my Free Podcast in iTunes or at www.GenealogyGems.com

I always enjoy being a presenter at the cutting-edge Family Tree Magazine Virtual Genealogy Conference. This time  around I’m teaching Best Apps for Genealogy! And today I am giving away one free virtual conference registration to a lucky Genealogy Gems reader. Read through the following article about the Virtual Genealogy Conference to learn how to enter. And do it today because you must be entered by midnight (Pacific) tonight Sept. 10:

8 Great Reasons to Attend a Virtual Genealogy Conference

Family Tree University’s Fall 2013 Virtual Conference Sept. 13-15 offers unique benefits

Have you ever missed a genealogy conference session you wanted to attend because the room was too full, or because the time conflicted with another session of interest? Or heard how great a session was after the fact, and lamented that you didn’t choose it?

That’s just one of the problems solved by Family Tree University’s Virtual Conferences. These three-day online workshops are the only genealogy conferences where attendees can completely customize the program to suit their schedule. Attendees can watch 16 pre-recorded 30-minute classes at any time, in any order they choose.

Attendees of the Winter 2013 Virtual Conference, Sept. 13-15, will enjoy the following unique benefits:

»        All sessions can be downloaded for later viewing—allowing you to watch favorite sessions again or save certain classes to view after the conference ends, so you can make the most of the real-time interaction during the weekend.

»        PDFs of the presentation slides from each class are available to download, too, eliminating the need to take copious notes or copy down website URLs.

»        The conference takes place entirely online, allowing attendees ultimate flexibility for participating. It’s the only conference where you can show up at 2 a.m. in your pajamas if you want to! Log in anywhere you have a computer and an internet connection, from your favorite armchair to your favorite coffee shop. You can even squeeze in a live chat during Daughter’s soccer game.

»        An FTU Virtual Conference also provides programming from nationally known genealogy presenters, including D. Joshua Taylor, Lisa Louise Cooke and many more. You don’t have to miss out if you can’t afford a hotel room or have physical limitations that make an in-person conference impractical.

The Virtual Conference also offers perks provided by in-person conferences:

»        An exhibit hall with booths showcasing genealogy products and services

»        A virtual swag bag of free downloadable genealogy goodies

»        Daily contests for great genealogy prizes

»        Opportunities to chat with and ask questions of experts, as well as make new friends of genealogy buffs just like you

To view the program and register for the Fall 2013 Virtual Conference, visit http://www.familytreeuniversity.com/virtual-conference (save 20% on registration with coupon code FTU0913 at checkout!).  Enter my giveaway by sharing this blog post on Facebook or Twitter by midnight tonight with hashtag #GENEALOGYGEMS. You’ll find social media sharing buttons at the top of the post, or just copy and paste the URL address of this specific post (click the post title to be sure and grab the specific address) and include #GENEALOGYGEMS. The winner will be announced here on this blog on Wed. Sept. 11 and must email their contact information to me as instructed in the post. Good luck, and I hope to see you at the Virtual Conference!

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by midnight Sept. 10, 2013 as directed.

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