Digitization as a Mean of Preservation in Developing Countries with a Special

Focus on Puerto Rico

By: Coral C. Salomón

What is digitization?

Capturing something analog (object, image, sound, document, etc…) in digital form

A Comprehensive Preservation Strategy Would Include:Preservation and conservation of physical

materialThe use of microfilm when appropriateDigitization of select collection

However

Developing countries do not have the means or the resources to create a comprehensive preservation strategy.

Digitization ensures that at least the content of the material is not destroyed and lost to posterity.

Why Concentrate on Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico classified as a “Small Island Developing State” by the UN

Afflicted by many of the same ills as other developing countries Colonial administrations with little or no regard

to local culture Equatorial region prone to natural disasters Decentralized and disorganized archives Cultural institutions poorly funded

Why is it Important to Preserve Puerto Rican Cultural Patrimony? Home to 3.7 million people

This number excludes Puerto Rican’s living abroad and of Puerto Rican descent

Produced many intellectuals and notable individuals who contributed to Latin American and American history Eugenio Maria de Hostos Pedro Albizu Campo Luisa Capetillo Perone Julia de Burgos Ramón Emeterio Betances

Why is it Important to Preserve Puerto Rican Patrimony? (Continued)

Provide material for researchers and academic institutions. Latin American studies Genealogy Earth Sciences Marine biology History

The preservation of Puerto Rican (and other developing countries) archives is not merely a quest to safeguard cultural identity, but world history.

As long as these archives are left to rot due to environmental and economic issues, the global community is at a loss.

Why Digitization: Protect Records from Environmental Constraints In tropical climates it may take records,

even if made of long lasting paper, only ~100 years to become dust.

Before becoming dust, the data may have faded away. Ink fades away Ink “eats” paper, increase carrier’s rate of decay Ink may not tolerate sunlight

Dangers of tropical climate to organic material

Environmental destructive forces classified in three groups: Physical (heat, sunlight, dust, sand) Chemical (moisture, gases, pollutants) Biological (fungi, bacteria, insect, rodents)

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Hurricanes

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Fault Activity and Earthquakes

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Tsunamis

And Byproducts of Natural Disasters

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Archivo General dePuerto RicoRicardo Alegría

Why Digitization: Protect Records from Environmental Constraints (Continued)

Preserve content by offering access through a digital medium.

Digitization is able to separate the informational content from the degradation of the physical medium.

Backups and digital repositories free institutions from: Ongoing cost of building maintenance Need to find adequate building structure Environmental dangers and disasters

While it is preferable to conserve and preserve the original at least by digitizing endangered material the content of cultural patrimony may live on for future generations.

Why Digitization: Job Creation

Create new, technical job opportunities for people in developing countries.

Offers institutions the opportunity to develop its technical infrastructure and staff skill capacity.

Digital equipment and the tech-developed staff could serve multiple purposes in the libraries and archives. Example: Website development, marketing,

photography, etc…

Why Digitization: Job CreationHelp Fight Brain Drain(?)

Exodus of mostly younger Puerto Ricans leaving the island that threatens to further debilitate an already struggling economy.

Government has to stimulate the economy in a sustainable way.

Puerto Rico is well poised to provide high-quality and digital savvy staff. University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez falls into the top 50 Engineering

Schools awarding undergraduates and master degrees in United States 15 universities in the island that offer technical-related undergraduate

and masters degrees. By contributing to capacity building the government of Puerto

Rico could safeguard the old while supporting 21st employment development.

Why Digitization: Increase Access

Enabling access to a collection is one of the vital principles of sustainable stewardship.

Provide access to delicate material: Protect frail material or originals that have an awkward

format. Facilitate exposure of materials kept under restricted access

due to threat of vandalism, damage or theft. An alternative to allowing more wear and tear on the originals,

especially if the original content has received little, no or poor care.

Why Digitization: Increase Access (Continued)Enhances access to the institution’s

resources: Builds services in support of teaching and

research. Makes possible research that could not otherwise be easily done.

Scan and link images to transcriptions of texts, making it possible to track and see variants online through hyperlinks.

Ex: At Tufts University, researchers are combining 18th century texts, images, and geographic information systems to build an interactive atlas of 18th century London.

Why Digitization: Increase Access (Continued)Virtual collections could lead to worldwide

access.Bring innovative collaborations that could

not have happened otherwise.Improved delivery of information services,

both at home and abroad.

Why Digitization: Increase Access Locally People would benefit by being able to access

previously inaccessible repositories. Material at the National and Municipal Archives

are not classified or organized. System is completely decentralized Digitization project could offer a centralized location for

accessing historical content Improving access and organization

Allow users now, and in the future, better access to material that would never be viewed due to poor organization, a decentralized system and the material’s deteriorating conditions.

Challenges: Volatile Format

How does one deal with a medium that is unstable? Planning is key

Create simple, well-documented, standardized program

Search for a preservation partner, an institution that would be interested in saving the institution’s website or its constituent materials in case of emergency.

Challenges: Funding

How to secure funding for costly project? Digitization is not cheap

Non-damaging scanning equipment, high-quality pictures and file formats

However, when used as a means of last resort, institution does not have to purchase costly microfilming equipment.

Spare time-consuming and expensive physical treatments.

Seek free non-proprietary software to mitigate costs.

Making up expense by marketing digitized collections

Challenges: Funding (Continued)

Attempt to secure funding and partnerships through: UNESCO Memory of the World Programme International Council on Archives International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Asociación para la Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural de las

Américas (APOYO) Library of Congress

There is no financial justification for skimping on quality. Poor digital copies are a waste of money. Skimping on metadata is also a mistake. Metadata is expensive, but without it people will have trouble finding and using the digitized materials

Conclusion

While digitization, as a sole mean of preservation is not the preferred method, it’s better than nothing.

Ensures that content of records are not lost to posterity.

Lost archives are irreplaceable. The loss is final. Our heritage is all that we know of ourselves;

what we preserve of it is our only record. Preservation is our commitment not only to the past, but also to the future. -Teygeler, René