Beyond the copy itself
It is easy to think of digital exhibits and conservation in terms of one benefit: a screen copy lets an original rest. That is part of the story, covered in our article on digital surrogates. The wider picture is broader. Putting collections into digital exhibits changes how objects are handled, stored, documented and tracked, and it creates a new kind of collection, the digital files, that needs its own long-term care.
This article looks at those wider effects, both helpful and troublesome.
Handling and movement
Preparing an object for digitization usually involves taking it out of storage, moving it, positioning it and sometimes supporting or protecting it during imaging. Each step carries risk. A fragile item may be better left alone, and a conservator should normally advise which objects are suitable and how they should be handled.
Over time, though, a good set of images can reduce repeated handling. If researchers, educators and exhibition staff can work from a digital version, fewer requests to retrieve the original are needed. The benefit comes mostly from one careful capture rather than many casual ones, so quality at the first attempt matters.
Storage and environment
Digitization does not remove the need for good environmental control, since the original remains in its physical form. It can, however, help planning:
- Objects that appear online or on screens less often need less movement between storage and display.
- Display schedules can account for light exposure, with surrogates filling gaps while sensitive items rest.
- Records of condition from images help identify objects that need attention.
Digital exhibits also affect the building. Screens, computers and lighting add heat, noise and cabling near objects. Equipment should be positioned with the collection’s needs in mind, and cabling should not create hazards or make cleaning difficult. Basic exhibit cabling and sensible power planning therefore concern collections staff too.
Documentation and records
Digitization often reveals gaps in records. When staff photograph an object, they may notice an unrecorded marking, a missing accession number or inconsistent descriptions. Capturing this information improves the record, provided someone has time to update it. Digital exhibits increase the pressure to have accurate descriptions, because the same text will be seen by many more people than a catalog card ever was.
Good collection metadata is therefore part of conservation in a broad sense. It should link each image to the right object, record when and how it was made, and note rights and restrictions. Consistent naming and a controlled vocabulary make material easier to find later. Without this, a large library of images can become a pile of unidentified files.
Rights and ethics are part of documentation too. Items with unclear ownership, or orphan works, need careful handling before they are shown. Some objects have cultural restrictions on viewing or reproduction, which should be recorded and respected, ideally after consulting source communities.
Digital files need conservation too
A digital collection is not permanent simply because it is digital. Common risks include:
- Storage failure. Drives and disks fail, and copies kept in a single place can be lost.
- Format obsolescence. File formats and software change. A file that opens today may be hard to open in many years.
- Bit rot and corruption. Files can degrade or be damaged without anyone noticing unless they are checked.
- Lost context. Files that are separated from their descriptions become hard to use.
- Exhibit software. The interactive that presents the images also ages. Planning against technology obsolescence applies to the software and hardware used to display collections, not only to the files.
Widely recommended practices include keeping more than one copy, storing copies in different locations, using well-documented and widely supported formats for master files, checking files periodically, and keeping display versions separate from masters. Preservation of digital material is an ongoing task, not a one-time project, and it needs budget and a named person responsible.
Display versions and masters
It helps to separate the files you keep from the files you show. Master files are captured at the highest practical quality and treated as the preservation copy. Display versions are derived from them, in sizes and formats suited to screens and the web, as covered in the discussion of image resolution. If a display format becomes outdated, new versions can be made from the masters without going back to the object.
Cost and capacity
Collections work competes with other demands for time. A digitization project can leave a museum with a large backlog of files to describe, store and check. Smaller institutions in particular should consider what they can maintain before starting. It may be better to digitize fewer objects well than many poorly.
Practical priorities
For a team deciding where to begin, a sensible order is:
- Ask a conservator which items can safely be imaged.
- Agree how files and records will be named and stored before capture.
- Capture with quality and consistency in mind.
- Make backups and test that they can be restored.
- Write down who is responsible for checking files in the future.
None of this makes digital exhibits a substitute for conservation of the real objects. It makes them one more part of a collection that needs steady care.