Preservation microfilming and digitization at London Metropolitan Archives: Surveying and conservation preparation prior to image capture

Abstract

The use of surrogates in archives, for preservation or access, is an important element in a collection management programme. This paper presents as a case study the production cycle of microfilming and digitization at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), UK. It takes as its starting point the initial management decision to make a surrogate and goes on to describe surveying, preparation of material prior to image capture, quality assurance, copying, allocation of call numbers, through to the completion of the process as the surrogate is made available to the public. In addition to this overview of practice, the author describes the surveying and conservation preparation of three collections at LMA showing how the information gathering and conservation approach differs from collections treated for general access.