Digitization projects can quickly become overwhelming without clear workflows, consistent standards, and sustainable file management practices. Whether you're working with photographs, documents, audiovisual materials, oral histories, or mixed-media collections, thoughtful planning is essential for preserving and providing access to your community's history.
In this session, archivists and photographers Rachel and Morgan Hagar of The Family Archivists will guide participants through the full lifecycle of a digitization project, from collection assessment and project planning to digitization standards, metadata, file naming conventions, storage, backup strategies, and long-term digital preservation.
Designed for museum professionals, historical societies, libraries, community archives, and volunteer-led organizations, this workshop emphasizes practical, scalable approaches that can be implemented regardless of budget or staffing levels. Participants will learn how to create repeatable workflows, avoid common pitfalls, manage digital collections more effectively, and balance preservation needs with access goals.
The session will also explore ethical considerations surrounding community archives, stewardship, accessibility, and emerging technologies such as AI-assisted metadata and transcription.
Participants will leave with:
- Strategies for planning successful digitization projects
- Practical workflow models and documentation practices
- Recommendations for file naming, organization, and metadata
- Best practices for storage, backup, and digital preservation
- Tools for improving access while maintaining long-term stewardship
Whether you are just beginning a digitization project or looking to improve existing workflows, this session will provide actionable guidance for preserving and sharing the stories entrusted to your care.
Morgan Hagar is a co-owner of The Family Archivists and a professional photographer and retoucher with more than 20 years of experience working with photographic collections. Holding a degree in Photography from the Brooks Institute, Morgan began his career in the era of film and darkroom printing, giving him extensive expertise in both analog and digital preservation.
He specializes in digitization workflows, photographic preservation, media conversion, and helping families and organizations safeguard their visual histories. Through his work, Morgan combines technical expertise with a deep appreciation for the stories that photographs and archival materials carry across generations.
Rachel Hagar, is a co-owner of The Family Archivists and an archivist dedicated to helping individuals, families, and organizations preserve and share their histories. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photography from the Brooks Institute and a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from San José State University, where she focused on archives, records management, and digital preservation.
Rachel specializes in archival organization, collection management, digitization planning, and family and community history projects. Drawing on both her photographic background and archival training, she helps clients navigate complex collections of photographs, documents, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia while ensuring that context, stories, and relationships between materials are preserved. Through her work, Rachel is passionate about making archives accessible, meaningful, and sustainable, empowering people to connect with their histories and preserve them for future generations.
The Family Archivists is a preservation and archival services company dedicated to helping individuals, families, museums, and community organizations safeguard their histories for future generations. Founded by Rachel and Morgan Hagar, The Family Archivists specializes in archival organization, digitization, photographic preservation, media conversion, family history projects, and legacy storytelling.
Combining expertise in photography, archives, and digital preservation, The Family Archivists works with collections ranging from family photographs and personal papers to audiovisual materials, oral histories, and community archives. Their approach emphasizes both preservation and accessibility, ensuring that historical materials remain protected while also being organized, discoverable, and meaningful to those who use them.
Through personalized consulting, hands-on archival services, digitization workflows, and educational programming, The Family Archivists helps clients transform overwhelming collections into well-preserved archives that can be shared, enjoyed, and passed down for generations. Their work is guided by the belief that preserving history is not simply about saving objects—it is about preserving the stories, relationships, and experiences that give those objects meaning.
Photo: Kathleen Daly, recipient of the annual OMA member recognition award, and her mother, at the 2019 Annual Conference.