this is where I fall in. Philosophically, I think archives are a guardian of our historical documents but they have an obligation to make access to original documents as broad as possible. With the advent of low cost cloud storage capability documents would not only be more available for study but they would be less likely to be damaged or pilfered.
________________________________
From: Lyle E. Browning <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Research in the Digital Age
It is a question of whether the holding bodies see themselves as guardians of information or disseminators of information for the better use of us all. High copy prices have restrained research for years. Copy prices had risen to very high levels for privately funded researchers. The advent of digital cameras and scanners meant that the information could be retained for later use. I also think that the quality of research would be higher as the originals versus the inevitably distilled notes would show a better result. In my view, it is a dubious proposition that the holding body would also retain copyright over the images, unless that particular item was unique. The internet has allowed me to accumulate via Google, Project Gutenberg and others a far wider and better set of background materials than I could EVER otherwise have managed, even in three lifetimes. As a result, often amazingly obscure publications are available to download that allow folks on
a limited budget to go farther with their research than otherwise would be possible.
The British model hinders research and is far more restrictive on what constitutes fair use than in the USA. Scrooges is the term that has been used with every copy costing far more than perceived worth.
And I might point out that digital cameras cause less damage to publications than do photocopiers as they need only be opened to 90° rather than flattened. The inevitable bulge caused by the binding stress when flattened is eliminated with the 90° approach. That might be something to be emphasized in the holding bodies.
I also understand that holding bodies have expenses. I have suggested to the Library of VA that for each digital copy taken, that the same be placed in their computers. In the course of a few years, an amazing amount of material would be digitized that otherwise would remain in microfilm. Thankfully, a work-around with digital copies of microfilm has replaced the MF readers. But those had their benefits as, in addition to producing vertigo, they also allowed one's right arm to be built up to amazing proportions;)
I proposed about 15 years ago that the Archeological Society of VA digitize its Quarterly Bulletins. Along with Special Publications, we have over $70k tied up in paper that takes enormous space for what we have available. The stick drives are priced at an intentionally low figure and would have been lower had not the USPS envelope scanners not stripped out the drives. We have compared sales figures with hard copies versus digital and there is no comparison, as they say. Digital copies are moving quickly, hard copies are moving for a very few, albeit slowly, but for most, one sale per 5 years. We are looking at transitioning from hard copies as we run out of some to a full digital offering and have offered hard copies gratis. But ASV's mission is the dissemination of information so that it can be used.
Lyle Browning
On May 23, 2013, at 9:28 AM, Paul Heinegg wrote:
> The Maryland Archives has mostly completed the conversion of their microfilm to CDs. They helped pay for the conversion by selling CDs at $60 each. (The price may be a bit higher now. They have raised it gradually from $20 when they first started about ten years ago to $60 as of three or four years ago).
> All Maryland deeds are available on-line in PDF from any computer.
> Paul
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