Message-ID: <7F2DC2A4A46E4129907874754B7E8EA2@YOUREBBFCF9347> From: "Brian Bigler" <usemeum@mhtc.net> Subject: Re: Scanning Documents Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 18:13:48 -0500
As museums and archival repositories we are charged with caring for
these valuable pieces of the past -- a service that cost a great deal of
money. Holding these individual materials in regional deposits is also
what makes each historical society unique. If the material becomes
world wide accessible. which can happen with any scanned material, why
then would I need to go visit the institution that houses these items,
pay their entrance fees, support their programming and exhibits, become
a member, or donate money to help in the preservation of the originals.
Now, if I want to write a book and include a photo or document from one
of these institutions it's free for the taking. If I want to create a
greeting card line using a historical photo from one of these
institutions it's free, If I am researching a paper I need not even
credit the institution. I can do all of this for free, while the
institutions that house these materials pay $7 a sheet for Mylar, $35
each for acid free boxes, hundreds of dollars annually for file folders,
copy machines and paper,support paid staff, use thousands of hours of
volunteer time, provide special air control systems, install expensive
fire suppression and security systems, pay rising utility bills and on
and on.
With 35 years of volunteering for one of these institutions, and forever
struggling for financial support -- which comes primarily from the
private sector -- and, with the ever changing economy, I have become
very protective of our resources. Each year we have had to become more
and more like a business, charging for each photo copy, each photo
reproduction, each information search, each mailing envelope. We have
managed this through a well established list of varied fees that are
determined, in part, by the fees and standards used for photo purchases
at the Wisconsin Historical Society. These fees vary for each specific
use and are set up to cover costs that are involved in handling each
individual request.
These fees are primarily used to by new acid free storage materials,
acquire rare additions to the collections, cover a staff member's hourly
wages, office materials, utilities, and on and on.
Thank you for letting me vent on this matter --
Brian J. Bigler
President -- Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society
--- Original Message -----
From: Anne Biebel
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:15 AM
Subject: RE: Scanning Documents
I felt compelled to comment on this practice from a researcher's
perspective. If a historian is allowed to access the records and make
notes, then scanning is just a way to increase efficiency and introduce
modern technology to the process. Further, unlike photocopying-there
are not materials involved that have cost (paper, toner) or staff time.
When working around the state to undertake research, I typically have my
scanner with me and never have been charged a fee for using it to copy
and store reference materials.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
Anne Biebel
Cornerstone Preservation Research & Planning
Cross Plains, WI
From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu] On Behalf Of Bill
Schuette
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 11:55 AM
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: Scanning Documents
How do others handle a situation like this:
We have researchers who bring their own laptops and flatbed scanners
along when doing research at our museum.
If they find documents in our files relating to their research, they
scan them into their computers. At this time we
are not charging anything as this practice is relatively new. How do
other museums accommodate this situation?
Do you charge per page? Or do you charge a flat fee?
Thanks for your help.
Bill Schuette
Sauk County Historical Society
Baraboo, WI