The importance of keeping historic files safe is something that has been understood for centuries. As a result, there are many expansive libraries across the world that act as archives for these crucial files, manuscripts and photographs. However, in order to keep these ancient, delicate documents safe they must be stored in increasingly strict conditions. As this becomes more difficult, with these files becoming even more delicate over time, document scanning and digitisation could hold the key to passing this information on for decades, preserving such files forever.
Its potential is now understood by the masses, as was shown by a recent Kickstarter campaign by Stirling University. After an archive of books, photographs and notes taken by black rights freedom fighter, Peter Mackay – containing 30 large crates of documents he created during his time liberating people in colonial Africa – was gifted to the institution, it launched a crowd funding campaign to raise the funds needed to digitise such files. Noting them to be of ‘international importance’, and maintaining them seen as ‘invaluable’, storing them in digital format using document scanning is seen as the best way to keep such records safe, and available to be viewed by the public.
Naveed Ashraf, Managing Director at Pearl Scan said, “For many years, keeping historic files in dedicated storage facilities in a controlled environment has been the only option. However, as these files become older, the challenges increase when looking to preserve them. We find documents from hundreds and thousands of years ago fascinating now, imagine how incredible they will be to human civilisation a thousand more years from this day! In order to give them this privilege, we must adopt a new approach.
“Document scanning is capable of capturing information from even the most sensitive documents without causing damage. Once done, this data can be stored in virtual format, meaning there are no limits to who can view it. Rather requesting special permission to handle delicate files, using document scanning could make these important files available to anyone, anywhere across the world who wishes to view them – just imagine the possibilities that could bring!”
Scanning archive files is fast becoming the ‘go-to’ method for institutions and individuals across the world when faced with the responsibility of storing history-critical data. Document scanning experts such as Pearl Scan provide the facilities and capability to do so.
If you have an archive of valuable documents and want to get them professionally digitised, get in touch with us and we will gladly answer your questions.