Preserving the corpus and producing copies

The persistent hazard, the corpus is exposed to by means of exogenous influences (fire- and water damage etc.) and endogenous derogatory processes (such as damages caused by acidic ink), and the constant use of the paper slips, which partly are in a state of decay, require a sustainable solution in order to preserve the material on a long-term basis. Thus, digital images and microfilms are produced as backups and material to work with.

To protect the estate on a long-term basis, to microfilm the documents is essential. Only microfilms ensure that images of the documents are available independent from data-migration and its technologic development. Storage media and reproducing devices become obsolete in ever so shrinking intervals. By now, the consequences this dynamics might have, cannot be foreseen. Thus, the established microfilming is a backbone of the "WossiDiA"-project.

Considering the cultural value of the Wossidlo-collection, its relatively high level of decay, and to meet the highest requirements for quality standards, a so called federal backup filming was applied for. The backup filming is funded by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) situated in Bonn. The microfilms are long-term storable and shall be stored subsurface in Oberried.

Digitized images are to be used as working copies and present the basis for online archives.