At RootsTech 2024, archive leaders and records custodians from around the world gathered for the Archives and Records Custodian Symposium to share insights on gathering and saving historic records. Records preserve the “collective memory of mankind, and through the digital transformation, we really can be also the accessible memory for society,” said Dr. Thomas Aigner.
A panel of four industry leaders, moderated by Michael Colemere, FamilySearch Area Director, Asia Pacific, shared their expertise in maintaining such records. Panelists included:
- Dr. Yolanda Camacho-Zapata, Director of the State of San Luis Potosí Historical Archive in Mexico
- Dr. Emmanuel Calairo, Chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
- Carlos Serrano-Vásquez, Executive Director of the International Council of Archives
- Dr. Thomas Aigner, CEO of Heritage Consulting GmbH
This panel of worldwide experts addressed the importance of saving recorded information before it’s lost to time. With written records around the world deteriorating, the best thing anyone can do is educate others of just how important historic records are so that more can be saved for future generations.
Why Records Matters
Written records are vitally important to saving memories. Otherwise, as a person dies, their memories go with them. And those memories connect families. “Records are about the people…. Everything done to preserve those records in their original form is because of the people,” Dr. Calairo said.
We are all cousins, and we are creating a tree that connects so many. It helps us discover how we are connected to one another. Records connect the dots between people, making it possible to trace those family relationships.
A Race Against Time
The ravages of time, the forces of nature, and natural and man-made disasters can destroy significant records, and with them important historical facts. Skillfully managed archives are essential to maintain old records and to keep them in good condition.
Dr. Camacho-Zapata told of a collection of documents being stored in plastic bags in a hot, humid environment. “Someone told them that was the best way to keep them. I could see the documents dying slowly inside the bags.”
Too often, as collections grow and become cumbersome, they are tucked away in attics and basements where they deteriorate. They can be damaged by insects, rodents, humidity, and heat, and they can be completely destroyed in fire, floods, wars, and similar disasters.
"It is clear that 'paper eventually dies,'” Dr. Aigner remarked. It is essential to use improved methods to preserve old records and their content as it was originally chronicled.
New and Better Ways to Save History
Archives around the world strive to gather and preserve historic documents, holding them in safe conditions. Where possible, these organizations use technology to create accessible copies of the original records. “Digitizing records is one of the best answers,” said Dr. Camacho-Zapata.
“40 years ago, we didn’t even think of digitizing, but advances in technology during the past 34 years have changed everything,” Dr. Aigner noted. “Now we have a new role regarding identifying the people [of the past].”
The same holds true for personal records. Digitizing pictures and sending them to family members not only helps share heritage with family, but it also provides a safety net against loss. Backing up copies of family mementos protects valuable information and memories.
New advances continue to change the landscape of record conservation with the arrival of Artificial intelligence (AI). “Artificial intelligence is opening a huge priority of opportunities and giving us a lot of tools to work with for indexing … language processing … image recognition … [and] records linkage,” Serrano-Vesquez remarked. He went on to describe how AI will make it possible to make connections between databases and facilitate the work in new ways.
“AI and similar advances can now make it possible to access information from documents like never before,” Dr. Aigner added.
AI’s Role in Record-Keeping
Because it is new—in its infancy—AI can also be “kind of scary.” As people try to understand what it is and what it can and cannot yet do, it’s important to verify with human eyes. “Artificial intelligence... is kind of easier for research, but it actually opens some other challenges for us. Because how are we going to know that what is put together is actually right?” said Dr. Comacho-Zapata. Curators must be vigilant and check AI-produced databases for accuracy with the understanding that AI output is not perfect.
The panel reflected that, used appropriately, AI has and will continue to revolutionize their efforts through indexing, translating, auditing, and creating family trees. An archivists’ job to keep records accessible and available becomes easier as AI becomes more and more dependable.
At FamilySearch, AI has been implemented to identify words in old, handwritten records. FamilySearch first used this technology on handwritten Spanish records. Humans then review the records to help improve accuracy.
AI has also become invaluable to help provide FamilySearch users with online hints by matching records to people they may apply to in the system. AI is “trained” to give correct answers at least 90% of the time before it can be used successfully to help guide guests to the right records.
Even with these massive advances, a bigger and better future is in store. We are now in the same place in AI as dial-up internet was to today’s streamlined internet. The outlook for the future is huge. Generative AI already helps with digitizing, indexing, and creating stories, but there will be much more.
FamilySearch’s Strides for Accessible Records
FamilySearch offers one of the largest collections of digitized records in the world, constantly striving to gather and maintain records of genealogical importance wherever they are found. Digitized records are available online at no charge to FamilySearch users.
To create its massive compilation of records, FamilySearch develops partnerships with archives worldwide. Original records stay with their archives, and FamilySearch preserves a digital copy and makes online copies available at the discretion of partnered archives, and returns a digitized copy to the partnered archive.
Five hundred camera crews are currently scanning records in archives around the world. They digitize thousands of records daily with millions of names. Such digitized records are freely available online at FamilySearch.org or through more than 5,000 FamilySearch Centers around the world. The FamilySearch Library also houses 537,000 books and periodicals, many of which are available online.
In an effort to also conserve oral histories, which are particularly susceptible to loss, FamilySearch records oral genealogies in Africa, Oceana, the Philippines, South Pacific, and the Americas. Through this effort, they have gathered 253 million names through 1 million interviews, helping to preserve the histories and cultures of these peoples.
Watch the FamilySearch Tech Forum at RootsTech 2024 to learn about the new technology that FamilySearch is using to help researchers find their family.
Spreading the Word
The archivist panelists at Rootstech shared their concerns that when the public doesn’t recognize the importance of records, documents are at risk for loss. They agreed that it is essential to educate those who make records—government, local registries, municipalities, and the public—on how to preserve them.
Too often, records sit forgotten in basements, where they can be damaged, stolen, or destroyed. Too often, records are left unorganized, making it nearly impossible to find and identify them. Sometimes, significant old records are even consigned to the junk heap.
Educating people and governments helps prevent unnecessary loss. By working together, records can be saved, and history preserved. Building partnerships can also be invaluable to sharing resources and efforts.
For small projects such as family mementos, individuals and families may benefit from using a “partner” with the equipment to digitize copies of their own records. Some entities, such as the FamilySearch Library and universities, are well-prepared with the equipment and skills to help.
At FamilySearch, we care about connecting you with your family, and we provide fun discovery experiences and family history services for free. Why? Because we cherish families and believe that connecting generations can improve our lives now and forever. We are a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more about our beliefs, click here.
