Longer, regularly reviewed pieces on the questions clerks and records managers ask most: who needs preservation, what conservators actually do, how to make a trustworthy copy and what to do with data trapped on old media.
An office-by-office look at who holds permanent records, why acidic paper and old repairs put them at risk, the warning signs, and a quick self-check.
Plain answers for clerks and records managers on restoring permanent records - microfilm, deacidification, encapsulation, old tape, budgets and vendors.
A bench conservator walks through each treatment a bound record or map receives, from survey and disbinding to washing, mending, encapsulation and rebinding.
How to plan a preservation copy of permanent records - film vs digital vs hybrid, 16mm vs 35mm, storage, scan settings, quality control and the contract.
What to look for when buying binders, permanent paper, polyester sleeves, map cases, shelving, archival boxes and vault space for records that must last.
How town clerks and recorders win records-preservation funding: the pitch, a one-page budget request, answers to objections and a half-day workshop plan.
A records manager's guide to converting a legacy imaging or land-records system, from inventory and chain of custody to reconciliation and validation.
How to recognize old optical discs, tape cartridges, backup sets, databases and image formats, what each needs to be read, and what to convert it to today.
