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Archiving your video scrapbook
An essential part of your design is working on archiving your video scrapbook project. If you have not gotten it onto a digital format such as a DVD, you need to get this done. Someone you know has a way to transfer a video to DVD. Treat this part of the project as though you were handling cherished family jewelry because, in a way, you are. So, let’s look at the situation. We have our project that we wish to make available to future generations and that could even mean 100 years. What are the options for maintaining and archiving your video scrapbook design? We have a DVD in hand but the chances that DVDs in their present state will be the same in 50-100 years is quite slim. However, just as there are still record players that play those old-fashioned 33 1/3 RPM records, there will be DVD players around for some time that can play your project. The most important part of your video scrapbook design is organizing the system that gets the recording into the hands of your family members. They must appreciate that it is important and that it must be stored safely. We suggest you duplicate the DVD and send copies out along with instructions for archiving your video scrapbook and also for viewing. You will have informed the family that the project was taking place already so this is simply a follow-up. Try this... Dear_______ Here is mom’s video scrapbook recording. It is 1 hour and 25 minutes in length and she did a great job. Please watch it with your whole family and let me know what you thought. I bet she would also appreciate a call telling her how good a job she did. After you view it, please store it safely in a climate-controlled location, maybe even a safe deposit box. You are now entrusted with this heirloom of her life story. Please see to it that it gets passed down as the kids grow up and also keep it playable. It is a DVD and as time goes on, you may need to have it transferred to a new format. The important thing is that it survives because when mom passes on, it will be all we have left. You as well will have the master copy and should follow the same procedures outlined above. It will not be difficult to keep the project playable because new digital formats will arise and there will be plenty of time to make transitions. The important thing is to get your project in a digital format and not a videotape format. Videotape degrades over time and gets to a state where is is unplayable unless kept carefully in a controlled atmosphere which most people do not have. So, go digital – it is cheap and safe.
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