DigitalArchivy

If finding information is like looking for a needle in a haystack, Digital Archivy has solutions. We help improve and optimize your methods, systems and goals.

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

UK discovers rare Declaration of Independence 250 years later. It's authentic!

“The presence of numerous yellowish, woody fragments suggests the possible inclusion of plant-based materials, such as hemp hurd, in the papermaking process.”

https://t.co/net7MOCsCJ

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Another scary story that illustrates "digital rentals and purchases are merely long-term licenses that are only valid for as long as the streaming service has the right to distribute said content" #archives https://t.co/5OsBfAjESP

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Ugh, did you hear about this data loss crisis? "the court ruled that Nine PBS had all the rights to access its data stored with OSS and that the latter should "facilitate its transfer to a new vendor.""

https://t.co/xgvRodqKdb

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Do you have a Bicentennial memory or photos from your youth? Here's a photo from a group of neighborhood friends celebrating American history in 1976.

#archives #communitymemory #archivitize

https://t.co/5OKhyatB9c

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

“Chavez Ravine: Unfinished Story” archival collection: living archive seeks to center voices and stories by community members + direct descendants, preserve personal photograph collections, + increase access to stories that reflect Latina/o experience.

https://t.co/QjMNX5uFyP

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

America's historic documents in DC. "Park Service struggles to maintain proper conditions for rare and delicate documents. Screens designed to shield records from harsh light are defective + temps inside display case are more than 80 degrees. #Archives

https://t.co/loEajgtdjE

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

We support renaming NYC Williamsburg Bridge
to honor tenor sax legend Sonny Rollins.

Sonny practiced on the bridge for 2 years, up to 15 hours a day, and released The Bridge on LP.

name it the Sonny Rollins Williamsburg Bridge!

@NYCMayor
@RollinsBridge #SonnyRollinsBridge

[LimeriTweets / WoodyGuth3 @LimeriTweets]

For those who understand the syntax
This plan is quite sound & it tracks

..let's use our knowledge
..& rename The Bridge

For the great Sonny Rollins & sax.

Rename the Williamsburg Bridge as the Sonny Rollins Bridge - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/faDVjoy8Ug via @Change

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Why AI Tagging Isn’t a Synonym for Archival Description

Tagging feels intuitive. You look at a photo. You add a few words: car, street, store, people. Eventually, the picture comes to life.

AI is good at this. It generates long lists of tags quickly

https://t.co/mIo8sQphRB

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

AI Content Is Not Context

AI systems express confidence as a number.

80% certain.
95% likely.
High probability.

But in archives, confidence doesn’t come from a score. It doesn’t even necessarily come from the past.
Quiet truth: it comes from context.

https://t.co/BXYrm8wzcv

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Why Archives Aren’t Classification Problems

AI is very good at classification.

It can tell us there’s a car in the photo.
Sometimes 2 cars.
Sometimes a truck.

It can add tags like car, automobile, vehicle with impressive confidence.

& that’s useful—up to a point.

#archiving

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Everywhere I go, everyone is talking about AI!

There's no doubt AI is changing everything,
but what if it suffers from the streetlight effect?

There's one thing we can all agree on: AI systems are very good at telling us how confident they are.....

https://t.co/9lCDjOzu75

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Another post up on the blog:

"An overlooked quiet risk of AI and EXIF metadata"

. . . People treat EXIF data as neutral, factual, safe.

In reality, it introduces serious risk and problems if it’s ingested or mapped haphazardly.

https://t.co/32C0JHjcoa

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

* If we trust AI too much in digital archiving,
we don’t just risk errors—we risk confusion!

In 2026, we are looking closer at AI in digital archiving. Today's post examines trust & #metadata provenance.

What do you think?

#digitalarchiving #AI

https://t.co/eoVdMsVs7Q. .

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Yes, it's time for copyrighted works from 1930 to enter the public domain!

There's a lot of greats inc Betty Boop cartoons by Fleischer Brothers, The Little Engine that Could, The Maltese Falcon, Nancy Drew + "I Got Rhythm" + FIFA World Cup trophy!!

https://t.co/p5bVhe39cN

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Save the libraries in nyc! They need more funding and we need the libraries too

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Very cool interactive map that provides background info on many of the NYC heroes who have had streets and intersections re-named in their honor. Check it out!

[Gothamist @Gothamist]

New Yorkers now have a map at their fingertips that reveals the stories behind nearly 2,500 streets and intersections co-named in honor of notable city residents: https://t.co/UrR74ySy7g

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Incredible story about Martin Scorsese donating his videotape collection to University of Colorado Boulder.

Scorsese's collection includes rare snippets from NYC TV broadcasts

They also house the Stan Brakhage and Kenneth Anger collections.

#Archives

https://t.co/ZfyrWySJHU

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Look at this recent redesign refresh of the Herman Miller brand!

It’s amazing how they used their history and heritage archival resources and then redesigned and updated the font.

https://t.co/yrmXxGDNOz

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

Happy New Year!! Check out this list of works that are entering the public domain as of January 1, 2024.

This year includes pieces by Picabia & Picasso, Brecht's "3 Penny Opera" and work by DuBois, Dylan Thomas and even Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie!

https://t.co/UGQXkSwMZu

[DigitalArchivy @digitalarchivy]

The Irwin Rubin Papers were acquired by Smithsonian Archives of American Art and are available to public at their Washington DC Research Center.
Professor Rubin was a student of Josef Albers. (2.6 linear feet, 9.3GB + date from 1930-2004.

@smithsonian

https://t.co/I5Z4ieJOea