Preservation Process Old

PRESERVATION PROCESS

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Preserve Your Legacy for Years to Come .

Everyone has a unique story to tell, which is why every step in our preservation process is tailored to your collection. Our standard preservation process consists of ten steps but can be customized to fit your specific needs.

Step 1. Evaluation

Before we begin the preservation process, we evaluate your collection so that we can provide an accurate estimate and overview of the personalized services applicable to your project. After we evaluate your collection, we provide you with a detailed written proposal and cost estimate. If approved, 50% of the evaluation fee is credited toward your final invoice.

Step 2. Official Intake

Once we receive your approval, we collaborate with you to iron out your priorities and expectations for your collection. Together, we sign a service agreement to formally retain our services. Then, we provide you with a statement of work that outlines the services we discussed. Once the paperwork is signed, your deposit is due, and we collect your project materials so that we can get started!

Step 3. Survey

Now that we have your collection in our hands, we get to work. At this stage, our team does a deep dive into your materials. We assess the condition and process the collection into related materials. We also gather contextual and biographical information, identify any gaps in the collection, assign preservation needs, and create a preliminary inventory. Finally, we create a workflow based on your collection’s needs.

Step 4. Processing and Arrangement

Here, we take everything we learned from the survey to create the formal organizational structure. Collections are described at the collection, series, subseries, folder, and/or item levels, with increasingly detailed information provided at each subordinate level. Using this arrangement, we create the Collection Overview, which contextualizes the materials and breadth of the collection.

Step 5. Inventory and Metadata

As materials are arranged, we record an inventory of the collection on a spreadsheet that will be delivered to you upon completion of the project. The inventory contains all agreed-upon fields, which typically includes Series, Date, Format, Title, Description, and Location. The inventory also includes information about the collection that provides context, promotes discovery, and supports the preservation of records.

Step 6. Prep

During the preparation stage, we provide preservation treatments to the materials. This can involve paper mending, cleaning, flattening, deacidification, and rebinding among other treatments. If digitization is required, we ensure materials don’t have any folds, obscured text, or other issues that will prevent clear images from being captured.

Step 7. Digitization

At this stage, we digitize the material if necessary. Every case is different depending on what’s in the collection. Analog physical formats, such as paper, are transformed into digital form. We use flatbed scanners and also shoot material overhead using a studio-grade, medium-format camera. We can also update the digitization of analog electronic formats, such as magnetic audiotape, phonograph discs, and VHS.

Step 8. Preservation

After prep and digitization, we do a final clean-up and encapsulation, where we place documents between two sheets of plastic (archival plastic/Mylar) sealed at the edges. Any custom housing, such as protective enclosures, is made at this time.

Step 9. Final Housing

Since every collection is unique, how a collection is housed varies from client to client. Materials can be rehoused in any number of ways. Final housing of paper, for example, involves placing documents in archival document boxes with labeled folders. Regardless of how it’s housed, we guarantee that it will be done in the way that best fits your collection’s needs.

Step 10. Project Completion

We contact you with a final update once we are wrapping up your project. We provide you with a link to schedule an appointment for pick up at our secured offices. During the pick-up appointment, we walk you through your collection deliverables and answer any final questions. Along with your collection, we provide you with handouts that detail care and storage best practices for your collection.

Step 1. Evaluation

Before we begin the preservation process, we evaluate your collection so that we can provide an accurate estimate and overview of the personalized services applicable to your project. After we evaluate your collection, we provide you with a detailed written proposal and cost estimate. If approved, 50% of the evaluation fee is credited toward your final invoice.

Step 2. Official Intake

Once we receive your approval, we collaborate with you to iron out your priorities and expectations for your collection. Together, we sign a service agreement to formally retain our services. Then, we provide you with a statement of work that outlines the services we discussed. Once the paperwork is signed, your deposit is due, and we collect your project materials so that we can get started!

Step 3. Survey

Now that we have your collection in our hands, we get to work. At this stage, our team does a deep dive into your materials. We assess the condition and process the collection into related materials. We also gather contextual and biographical information, identify any gaps in the collection, assign preservation needs, and create a preliminary inventory. Finally, we create a workflow based on your collection’s needs.

Step 5. Processing and Arrangement

Here, we take everything we learned from the survey to create the formal organizational structure. Collections are described at the collection, series, subseries, folder, and/or item levels, with increasingly detailed information provided at each subordinate level. Using this arrangement, we create the Collection Overview, which contextualizes the materials and breadth of the collection.

Inventory and Metadata

As materials are arranged, we record an inventory of the collection on a spreadsheet that will be delivered to you upon completion of the project. The inventory contains all agreed-upon fields, which typically includes Series, Date, Format, Title, Description, and Location. The inventory also includes information about the collection that provides context, promotes discovery, and supports the preservation of records.

Prep

During the preparation stage, we provide preservation treatments to the materials. This can involve paper mending, cleaning, flattening, deacidification, and rebinding among other treatments. If digitization is required, we ensure materials don’t have any folds, obscured text, or other issues that will prevent clear images from being captured.

Digitization

At this stage, we digitize the material if necessary. Every case is different depending on what’s in the collection. Analog physical formats, such as paper, are transformed into digital form. We use flatbed scanners and also shoot material overhead using a studio-grade, medium-format camera. We can also update the digitization of analog electronic formats, such as magnetic audiotape, phonograph discs, and VHS.

Preservation

After prep and digitization, we do a final clean-up and encapsulation, where we place documents between two sheets of plastic (archival plastic/Mylar) sealed at the edges. Any custom housing, such as protective enclosures, is made at this time.

Final Housing

Since every collection is unique, how a collection is housed varies from client to client. Materials can be rehoused in any number of ways. Final housing of paper, for example, involves placing documents in archival document boxes with labeled folders. Regardless of how it’s housed, we guarantee that it will be done in the way that best fits your collection’s needs.

Project Completion

We contact you with a final update once we are wrapping up your project. We provide you with a link to schedule an appointment for pick up at our secured offices. During the pick-up appointment, we walk you through your collection deliverables and answer any final questions. Along with your collection, we provide you with handouts that detail care and storage best practices for your collection.

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