ISS News

Week Two in the Archives – Heritage Skills Programme

During our first week at the Richard Burton Archives we learnt about how they scan archival documents. This is an important part of an archivist’s work as it can help to preserve documents by minimising the need for the original to be produced and it can enable access to those who can’t visit. Digitisation can also help promote the wealth of material in the Archives.

Unlike scanning we’d undertaken previously there were more things to consider with archival documents:

• Photographs are removed from their protective Melinex sleeves and are only handled when wearing nitrile gloves
• Quality checks are performed including zooming in on the document to check the image is not distorted, and greyscale checks to ensure the colour has been replicated
• No alterations are made to the ‘Master Copy’
• Agreed conventions are used to name the file

We used both the flat bed and overhead scanners that the Archives have. This choice of scanners enables a wide variety of documents to be digitally copied and during our placement we had the opportunity to scan photographs and a silk play bill.

This experience has shown us how varied the role of an archivist can be and we are interested to find out more about digital preservation and the digitisation of documents.

Yn ystod ein hwythnos gyntaf yn Archifau Richard Burton, dysgasom am sut maent yn sganio dogfennau archifol. Mae hon yn rhan bwysig o waith archifydd ac mae’n gallu helpu i gadw dogfennau trwy leihau’r angen i’r ddogfen wreiddiol gael ei chyflwyno. Hefyd mae’n galluogi’r rhai nad oes modd iddynt ymweld â’r safle i gael mynediad i’r ddogfen. Hefyd gall digideiddio helpu i hyrwyddo’r wledd o ddeunydd yn yr Archifau.

Yn wahanol i’r sganio roeddem wedi’i wneud o’r blaen, roedd mwy o bethau i’w hystyried wrth sganio dogfennau archifol:

• Caiff ffotograffau eu tynnu o’u pocedi Melinex diogelu ac ni chaiff neb gyffwrdd â nhw oni bai ei fod yn gwisgo menig nitril
• Caiff gwiriadau ansawdd eu cynnal gan gynnwys closio ar y ddogfen i wirio nad yw’r ddelwedd wedi’i hystumio, a chynhelir gwiriadau graddlwyd i sicrhau bod y lliw wedi’i atgynhyrchu
• Ni wneir unrhyw newidiadau i’r ‘Prif Gopi’
• Defnyddir confensiynau y cytunwyd arnynt i enwi’r ffeil

Buom yn defnyddio’r peiriannau sganio wyneb gwastad a’r peiriannau sganio uwchben sydd gan yr Archifau. Mae cael dewis rhwng y peiriannau sganio yn galluogi amrywiaeth eang o ddogfennau i gael eu copïo yn ddigidol ac yn ystod ein lleoliad cawsom gyfle i sganio ffotograffau a phosteri sidan am sioe.

Mae’r profiad hwn wedi dangos i ni pa mor amrywiol y gall rôl archifydd fod ac mae gennym ni ddiddordeb mewn dod o hyd i wybodaeth bellach am gadwraeth ddigidol a digideiddio dogfennau.

iss April 27th, 2015

Posted In: Uncategorized

Tags: Digitisation, Heritage Skills Programme, RIAH, Richard Burton Archives, Training