Your patrons have albums full of photographs and boxes full of slides, but do you have a preservation strategy for them? If you want to let your customers’ family photographs to last, here are five tips for ensuring their legacy:
1. Ensure the originals are stored in a cool, dry place with minimal exposure to light. This will help preserve them and reduce the risks of fading or water damage.
2. Keep a photo logbook. Gently number photos or slides with a pencil and in the log include details like dates, places, and names so that younger generations understand the photograph’s history. If that information is lost, the photo’s value may not be obvious and it could be destroyed.
3. Don’t digitize or even keep every photo. Sort through your collection and weed out anything that isn’t valuable to your family’s history. Focus on retaining family portraits or milestone events.
4. Digitize photos to share with family and friends, but don’t throw out your originals. Always keep original copies of important photographs, such as a wedding portrait. That way if the digital file is lost, you can go back and make another copy.
5. Always have a backup of your digital photo gallery. Keep one copy on your computer and another on an external storage device. That way, if one copy becomes damaged you have another readily available.
Is your library equipped with scanners to help you digitize your patron’s family’s slides, negatives, and photographs? We’ve helped public and private libraries across North America and the World to digitize their collections, as well as the ability to offer their customers professional quality reproduction without the mess and expense of sixty year old photocopier technology. Ask us today about how to get started!
