Digitization is thrown around a lot when referring to saving archival material. It seems like the easiest and most logical thing when it comes to saving valuable information. This assumption does not take into consideration the time, costs, and risks involved with such projects.
Digitization has a lot of perks. It creates easier access that can extend beyond the archives’ physical community. Anyone with a computer or smartphone has the potential for access. It allows more people to access the material without having to handle the actual item, eliminating wear and tear.
However, not all items translate well into digitization. As Banks & Pilette wrote, “digitizing is by definition sampling the original information, not replicating it entirely.” Audio can be especially prone to loss of original qualities. Digital sound is not the same as analogue. That’s why, after decades of enhancements, vinyl still sells. There are also aspects of photography that are lost through digitization. The shading and depth of composition can appear flattened when scanned into a computer.
There are even times when the archival materials may not be able to withstand the digitization process due to deterioration. “Major preservation issues with motion pictures are deterioration of cellulose nitrate and acetate bases, color fading, and their extreme vulnerability to damage during projection. An equally great issue is the very high cost of restoration and copying” (Banks & Pilette, 2000).
I am very pro-digitization in terms of access. If information cannot be accessed by the community, it is doing very little other than taking up space and funds. Digitization is definitely a positive tool for archivists, especially in this digital age. However, it should definitely not be the only tool for preservation, nor should the digital copy replace the original. As with all archival decisions, repositories must weigh the cost of digitization against the cost of the material – both monetary and intrinsic.
Banks, P. N., & Pilette, R. (2000). Preservation : Issues and Planning. ALA Editions of the American Library Association.
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