Tip #32: Balance access with preservation.

Written By Dmitri Schmidt

Easier said than done. If you’re supposed to limit handling, how do you respond to research requests? How do you create exhibitions?

Like with most archival materials, the answer is copies. Which is to say migration. Or reformatting. Or digitization. Or whatever you want to call it. No matter your method, the goal is to create a master copy for emergencies and an access copy for more public use.

As important as these copies are, it is recommended to leave AV migration to the professionals. Besides needing specialized equipment for many AV formats, the chances of damaging the original in the process is much greater than, say, just scanning a document to create a pdf.

Need a refresher on which formats you should prioritize in a digitization project? Check out our AV preservation webinar on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtxDC7SPgW4

#ArchivalTips #BacklogArchivists #Conservation #Preservation #AudioVisual 

Dmitri Schmidt

Dmitri plays a pivotal role in coordinating Backlog’s outreach efforts. They curate our weekly #FridayFinds and #ArchivalTips social media posts, shedding light on items discovered in our genealogy work and providing tips and tricks to approaching problems in the archives.

Dmitri holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and German Studies from Saint Louis University. During their university years, they dedicated over 1000 hours to interning and volunteering at local St. Louis institutions, including the St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis University Museum of Art. As the Collections Intern at the Science Center, Dmitri assisted in developing and installing the "Into the Vault" exhibit.

Before joining Backlog, Dmitri served as a Fulbright Grantee, teaching English as a second language in former East Germany. From guiding 11th graders in analyzing pop albums as poetry to discussing the significance of the civil rights movement with 8th graders, they covered a broad spectrum of subjects. While reveling in connecting with students and injecting fun into grammar lessons, Dmitri's deep passion for all things archival eventually drew them back home.

Today, Dmitri works as a Herbarium Assistant at the Missouri Botanical Garden, helping digitize the millions of preserved plant specimens. After being scanned and transcribed, these images aid scholars around the globe in furthering botanical research. Dmitri also serves as the archivist for the Kirkwood Historical Society. They are currently overseeing the “Journeys into Kirkwood’s History” project, which aims to digitize documents related to Kirkwood’s early Black settlements.

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Tip #33: Limit handling damage with phase boxes.

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Tip #31: Limit playback of vinyl records.