Depending on the repair, there are folks who can do this. Vern Wiering is the best near Grand Rapids. But book repairs by experts can be expensive. If it is simple repair, like replacing a hinge or shoulder, we do that here at Calvin College Archives (though I am retiring in April and am not sure who will do repairs after that).
The question about the longevity of digital records is very real for archivists. First there is the question of ongoing software changes, after several new generations of softwares, files generally became unreadable. This problem now is being resolved, but another question is longevity of digital media. It seems to be accepted that digital files can be stored for about 10 years without degradation, although it may be longer, there is no way to know until the time passes. Copies can of course be made, but with each copy a little bit of the original is lost. Related to this is that all digital systems rely on mechanical devices, which can physically fail, so backups are necessary.
In short, paper-based records will last much longer than digital files. But many files now only exist in digital format, so we have to deal with storing digital files, indexing them, and accessing them. I would not recommend converting existing paper records to digital as a means for preservation.
Posted in: Hard Cover Book Repair Ideas?
Depending on the repair, there are folks who can do this. Vern Wiering is the best near Grand Rapids. But book repairs by experts can be expensive. If it is simple repair, like replacing a hinge or shoulder, we do that here at Calvin College Archives (though I am retiring in April and am not sure who will do repairs after that).
Posted in: Telling the Story of the CRC, One Record at a Time
The question about the longevity of digital records is very real for archivists. First there is the question of ongoing software changes, after several new generations of softwares, files generally became unreadable. This problem now is being resolved, but another question is longevity of digital media. It seems to be accepted that digital files can be stored for about 10 years without degradation, although it may be longer, there is no way to know until the time passes. Copies can of course be made, but with each copy a little bit of the original is lost. Related to this is that all digital systems rely on mechanical devices, which can physically fail, so backups are necessary.
In short, paper-based records will last much longer than digital files. But many files now only exist in digital format, so we have to deal with storing digital files, indexing them, and accessing them. I would not recommend converting existing paper records to digital as a means for preservation.