Preserving History Instructional Videos

Among the many resources on the LDS.org website is a section on Church History with a collection of videos on Preserving History. President Spencer W. Kimball reminded us that "from time immemorial the Lord has counseled us to be a record-keeping people.” But many of us are overwhelmed with the details of protecting our own personal historical heritage. The titles of the videos are as follows:

• Why Keep Records?
• Health Precautions
• Handling
• Housing
• Preservation Through Organization
• Storage
• Digital Storage
• Safe Home Display
• Conservation

Concern about preserving historical objects and documents is not an LDS issue. There are many national organizations that are deeply involved in preservation. At the forefront of the preservation issues is the Library of Congress. Their website is a very useful resource for detailed information and links to other valuable websites. 

In addition to the resources available for the preservation of physical items. there is a real concern about digital preservation, especially among genealogists. If we store out records and documents digitally (online) how can we be sure they will survive the technological changes? This is the kind of question that is addressed in the Library of Congress' Digital Preservation website. 

This is only the barest beginning of the vast resources available to help you do a better job of preservation.