Guiding Principles
WAWMA's preservation strategy is premised on the dual goals of serving the immediate needs of our patrons while also ensuring that our resources will be available for future generations. While we adhere to the professional standards for map preservation, we also recognize that our materials are meant to be used, thus we strive to strike a balance between preservation and access.
Physical Preservation
Standard Flat File Storage Unit
Our storage practices for our physical maps are based on recommendations provided by the Library of Congress. Our maps are carefully placed flat inside “supportive protective enclosures,” and then housed in multi-drawer steel cases within a climate-controlled environment. The type of enclosure largely depends on the size and individual needs of each item, including acid- and lignin-free folders and document boxes, polyester film sleeves, and alkaline-buffered storage materials. Our storage area is kept at a constant temperature between 67-70 degrees with approximately 35% relative humidity and our materials are only exposed to soft light when in use.
Digital Preservation
We understand that not everyone is able to visit us in Provo, so our staff is in the process of a comprehensive digitization project in order to make our resources available online. Beginning with our most popular maps, we hope to have our entire collection digitized by May of 2014. Our digital collection is not intended to replace the originals in any way, but rather is a means to facilitate greater access.
In an effort to increase the longevity and quality of our digital offerings, we adhere to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Material. These guidelines provide best practices for image resolution, scale and dimension optimization, production master file creation, and other technical specifications as well as offering suggestions for color management, image processing, and efficient workflows.
In an effort to increase the longevity and quality of our digital offerings, we adhere to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Material. These guidelines provide best practices for image resolution, scale and dimension optimization, production master file creation, and other technical specifications as well as offering suggestions for color management, image processing, and efficient workflows.
Sources
American Library Association. . "Helpful Hints for Small Map Collections." ALA: Map & Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT). American Library Association. 10 April 2013. <http://www.ala.org/magirt/publicationsab/electronicpubs/larsg>.
Library of Congress. "Care, Handling, and Storage of Works on Paper." Preservation Directorate. Library of Congress. 8 April 2013. <http://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/paper.html>
Northeast Document Conservation Center. "NEDCC Preservation Leaflets ." NEDCC Preservation Resources. Northeast Document Conservation Center. 10 April 2013. <http://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/overview>
Puglia, Steven, Jeffrey Reed, and Erin Rhodes. Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Materials for Electronic Access: Creation of Production Master Files – Raster Images. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2004).
Standard flat file storage image from The Oregon State Archives, http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/about/tour/storage/storagemap.html
Library of Congress. "Care, Handling, and Storage of Works on Paper." Preservation Directorate. Library of Congress. 8 April 2013. <http://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/paper.html>
Northeast Document Conservation Center. "NEDCC Preservation Leaflets ." NEDCC Preservation Resources. Northeast Document Conservation Center. 10 April 2013. <http://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/overview>
Puglia, Steven, Jeffrey Reed, and Erin Rhodes. Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Materials for Electronic Access: Creation of Production Master Files – Raster Images. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2004).
Standard flat file storage image from The Oregon State Archives, http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/about/tour/storage/storagemap.html