The Cost of Preserving History: Digital Special Collection Upkeep and Funding

by Chad Hitchcock 
 

The 21st century has increased the access of information and the use of said information, but the ability to preserve and keep this information digital has gotten more difficult. The pricing and upkeep for digital special collections has increased over the years, causing many organizations that deal with these topics to decide what is useful to preserve, and what can be gotten rid of. 
 
Within the Age of the Internet, many librarians and libraries agree that having a digital collection is the next step in “keeping with the times.” However, over 50% of surveyed librarians are worried about their collection’s funding. Special Collections funding falls under a variety of topics, but primarily it is: the preservation itself, training of staff, acquisition of digitization software, digital storage, access to the information, and routine upkeep. Funding for issues like this can come from multiple sources. Whether it is external or internal possibilities.  
 
The funding issues that come with special collections come primarily with the change of the organization’s information infrastructure. Staff would need training and routine check-ins to make sure that all staff that is working with this, is up to date on what is needed. However, there are options to hire inexperienced staff with the training already in place, but that then falls to the organization to begin paying more salaries. The preservation equipment itself would hopefully be a one-time cost for most of the equipment. Technology to transfer VHS to MP4 and Cassette tapes to MP3 exist and usually only cost $40-$50 if you are looking on websites such as amazon. Scanning older documents and photos can take longer because they need more care to not be damaged or destroyed. Scanners like this can cost between $60-$600 depending on the quality of equipment. 
 
Funding for ideas like this will primarily come from inside of the organization. Reworking of budgets, staff taking on extra responsibilities, or even inclusion of unpaid interns and/or volunteers. Grants are also a very profitable resource for organizations to go for, but those can sometimes take months to hear from. Websites such as MCACA (if your organization is within Michigan) and “Library Grants and Funding” are useful resources to start with. There are options for these groups to fund their digital collection by using the collection as a marketing tool, gaining revenue off this service. However, making money off access to your information can cause serious issues with the idea of “open access,” something that most information organizations strive to offer. Yearly, the pricing of all of this would go down after the first year, with the infrastructure and equipment already put in place. However, yearly upkeep would be another point to continue looking for financial support. 
 
Digital Archiving is seen as the next step when it comes to any organization that deals with documents and physical objects. The first step many organizations need to take is funding. While it sounds like a never-ending process and a struggle, many organizations have grown in support, financial standing, and impact from the work they took to fund their special collections. 
 
 
References
 
Conway, P. (2010). Preservation in the Age of Google: Digitization, Digital 
Preservation, and Dilemmas. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 80(1), 61-79. doi:10.1086/648463
 
Ithaka S.R., Mason, N. L., & Pickle, S. (2013, February). Appraising our Digital 
Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries. Association of Research Libraries. https://sr.ithaka.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/digitizing-special-collections-report-21feb13.pdf