State archival photographic collections and their potential for preservation applications.

摘要

State archival photographic collections were considered from a historic preservation perspective. All state archives in the southeastern United States were surveyed. Each archives except South Carolina's maintains photographic collections. Each archives surveyed had as a general purpose the documentation of the history of their state. Each state photographic collection was considered by size, length of time in existence, variety of subjects, funding, staffing, and accessibility. Each archives used state appropriated funding for their archives. Three archives sought additional funding for special projects from private sources. Each archives employed fewer than ten employees to work with their collections. Special projects such as Vanishing Georgia, Looking Back at Tennessee, and the Florida Photographic Collection are discussed in depth. Recommendations for improving these collections as preservation tools are given. Archives need to identify the markets which could best use their resources and alter their purpose and objectives accordingly. Archives need to include other types of information and media in their documentation than written government records. Archives need to increase the staff to their collections, increase the funding of their collections, increase accessibility to their collections, aggressively seek out new material for future researchers, and develop advocacy programs to reach potential users.