There is a fundamental difference between two types of light mixtures that complicates the reproduction of images on monitors or in print. 

Archival repositories can generate surrogates for various purposes, such as PDFs for print reproduction, JPEGs for online display, and TIFFs for storage. 

The hundredth copy of a digital image is indistinguishable from its progenitors. Electronic copies suffer no degradation through the duplication process, unlike other forms of copying, such as facsimiles. A copy of a digital image is indistinguishable from its source, while the original can lose its meaning in this electronic world. 

If done correctly, digitization can help archival repositories become more user-centric and higher performing. 

Archivists can accelerate their gains from digitization by presenting a business case for digital transformation to those who lead their organizations. 

The appetite for digital materials seems infinite, as institutions scan or photograph bound materials, manuscripts, artwork, maps, translucent materials such as film or glass plate negatives, textiles, artifacts, and specimens. 

Although digitization initiatives are complex, when managed successfully, their benefits outweigh the skills, costs, and time required. 

Digital files are superior to past surrogate forms like microfilm because they are delivered via networks, offering enhanced access to multiple simultaneous users worldwide. Archivists can index digitized images for accurate identification and instantaneous retrieval. Physical proximity to digital collections is unnecessary, unlike analog collections. 

Organizations that downplay their history and traditions risk losing their values, need for vision and purpose, and competence. 

Leading with a sense of history is not to be enslaved to the past, but rather to acknowledge its power.

The functions of records maintenance include organizing and filing records and identifying which records to retain and for how long.

The functions of records maintenance include organizing and filing records and identifying which records to retain and for how long.

A records survey is a useful tool for understanding the existing records of an organization. The survey creates an inventory that reveals existing record groups, locations, conditions, and quantities.

Archivists provide clarity to collections. They help users understand records of enduring value: what they are, who created them, and what events they represent.

To do so, they identify groupings of records. Then, they explain aggregations of records through appraisal, processing, and description. Through the archival process, archivists transform complex groupings of primary sources into insightful and succinct information through arrangement and description.