Digitizing Records: A CSI Exploration on the How’s and Whys of Digitization

If you have ever looked at a disorderly pile of papers and thought, “this would be easier to deal with if these were all digital” you are not alone. Digitization has been a buzz word for at least two decades. While easy to name, digitization itself is a complex topic that meets at the intersection of technology, preservation, access, and the humanities. Understanding these intersections is necessary to plan and enact a successful digitization project.  

Join archivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy on this exploration of Digitization with an eye towards the technology and planning required to move forward with digitization projects as well as an exploration on why institutions might take on the challenges of digitization as well as the long-term pros and cons of holding digitized records within a church archive.  

This event is free and open to all, but registration is required.  Click here to register.

After registering, you will receive an email with information about attending the webinar. 

Email any questions to programs@14beacon.org. 

Speakers:  

Zachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University, with a concentration in archives management, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive, the Vassar College Special Collections, the Harvard Law School Library, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management, digital archiving, audio/visual preservation, and archives management.  

Billy McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access, collection management, processing of complex materials, and facilitating research.