Digitization and Digital Archiving

A Practical Guide for Librarians

Elizabeth R. Leggett

More and more, library patrons are embracing the ease with which information can be accessed digitally. In an instant, a few keywords can bring patrons exactly what they desire, such as a book or a photograph, rather than going through the much more tedious activity of browsing through shelves, searching for a call number, or, even more daunting, the process of trying to work a microfilm reel. Thus, many librarians in libraries of every size and type are currently working toward making more information available electronically.

This process can be daunting, however. Digitization and Digital Archiving: A Practical Guide for Librarians seeks to answer the following common questions:

What should be stored?
Where and how should it be stored?
How exactly is information stored in a computer?
Does it really make a difference if one uses a jpg or a tiff file?

This book is a comprehensive guide to the process of digital storage and archiving. Assuming only basic computer knowledge, this guide walks the reader through everything he or she needs to know to start or maintain a digital archiving project. Any librarian interested in how digital information is stored can benefit from this guide.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 226 • Trim: 8½ x 11

978-0-8108-9207-1 • Paperback • July 2014 • $72.00 • (£47.95)

978-0-8108-9208-8 • eBook • July 2014 • $68.00 • (£47.95)

Series: Practical Guides for Librarians

Subjects: Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Archives & Special Libraries, Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Digital & Online Resources, Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Preservation and Conservation

Digitization and Digital Archiving

A Practical Guide for Librarians

Paperback

eBook

Summary

More and more, library patrons are embracing the ease with which information can be accessed digitally. In an instant, a few keywords can bring patrons exactly what they desire, such as a book or a photograph, rather than going through the much more tedious activity of browsing through shelves, searching for a call number, or, even more daunting, the process of trying to work a microfilm reel. Thus, many librarians in libraries of every size and type are currently working toward making more information available electronically.

This process can be daunting, however. Digitization and Digital Archiving: A Practical Guide for Librarians seeks to answer the following common questions:
- What should be stored?
- Where and how should it be stored?
- How exactly is information stored in a computer?
- Does it really make a difference if one uses a jpg or a tiff file?
This book is a comprehensive guide to the process of digital storage and archiving. Assuming only basic computer knowledge, this guide walks the reader through everything he or she needs to know to start or maintain a digital archiving project. Any librarian interested in how digital information is stored can benefit from this guide.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 226 • Trim: 8½ x 11

978-0-8108-9207-1 • Paperback • July 2014 • $72.00 • (£47.95)

978-0-8108-9208-8 • eBook • July 2014 • $68.00 • (£47.95)

Series: Practical Guides for Librarians

Subjects: Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Archives & Special Libraries, Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Digital & Online Resources, Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Preservation and Conservation

Author

Elizabeth R. Leggett is a freelance technical writer, and has worked in libraries and archives at Centre College, the University of Kentucky, and Murray State University. She also began a local digital genealogical collection at the Calloway County Public Library. Her writing on the topic of digital storage and archiving appeared in the 2012 summer edition of Kentucky Libraries.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Why Use Digital Preservation?
Chapter 2. How Do Computers Store Information?
Chapter 3. Storing Images
Chapter 4. Storing Text
Chapter 5. Storing Audio and Video
Chapter 6. CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray
Chapter 7. Magnetic Tape
Chapter 8. Hard Drives
Chapter 9. Flash Memory
Chapter 10. Cloud Computing
Chapter 11. Equipment for Digitizing and Editing Archival Materials
Chapter 12. Metadata and Accessing Information
Chapter 13. Copyright Law
Chapter 14. Problems With Digital Preservation
Chapter 15. Putting It All Together

About the Author
Index

Reviews

This book looks at various types of electronic formats, hardware and software, and talks about the advantages and problems of using them to store and access information. . . .The text is clear, easy to read, and very well segmented with white space, dividing lines, and section headings. . . .[The book] is of most interest to libraries and archives that are considering or already involved with these kinds of digital projects, librarians with no experience in this kind of activity, institutions supporting LIS and/or archival programs, or community groups that want to try something along these lines.
— American Reference Books Annual

Leggett's book, written for librarians, has value for genealogists. She gives practical and general guidelines needed to create digital libraries that can survive so future descendants may read and enjoy them. . . .This book gives an easy-to-read overview of technical terms. . . .It is useful for personal and library research.
— National Genealogical Society Quarterly

Overall, the book is written in a very straightforward and accessible style. . . .It may be of interest to those seeking an introductory guide to IT concepts.
— Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association

Digitization and Digital Archiving

A Practical Guide for Librarians

Elizabeth R. Leggett

Digitization and Digital Archiving

A Practical Guide for Librarians

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