Page 27 - Unleasing Your Social Media Potential

Our approach is rooted in the understanding that your organization, even if it operates as a not-for-profit, is ulti- mately a business. Therefore, it is crucial to make business-minded decisions regarding all aspects, including social media and photography.
For instance, it is important to establish a repository of images that can be accessed in the future for media requests if an athlete advances to the professional level. This repository needs a plan for management, it needs a resiliency plan for long-term maintenance of the data, it needs management. This raises questions about how to technological- ly organize and manage such a repository, especially when working with multiple photographers over an extended period. Addressing these business-related questions will contribute to solving broader issues concerning the success of your organization.
When we look at this question, we see at least ten things that you should be planning for:
1. File Formats: Digital photos should be stored in widely supported file formats, such as JPEG or TIFF, to ensure long-term accessibility and compatibility with various software and hardware. However, maintaining RAW data provides a means to maintain the maximum amount of data for all of the photos providing a means to use future software to address crucial data that is otherwise discarded when compression is applied such as a JPEG file.
2. Metadata: It’s crucial to include comprehensive metadata for each digital photo, including details like date, location, subjects, and photographer’s name. This metadata helps with organization, searchability, and contextual understanding of the images.
3. Backup and Redundancy: Implementing robust backup and redundancy systems is vital to safeguard digital photos from accidental loss or corruption. Multiple copies should be stored on separate storage devices or cloud platforms.
4. Preservation Storage: Digital photos require proper storage conditions to prevent degradation over time.
5. Data Integrity: Regularly verify the integrity of digital photo files through checksums or other validation meth-
ods. This helps identify and correct any errors or data corruption that may have occurred during storage or
transfer.
6. Migration and Format Obsolescence: Technological advancements and format obsolescence can render certain
file formats or storage media outdated. It is necessary to periodically migrate digital photos to newer formats or
storage solutions to ensure continued accessibility.
7. Long-Term Planning: Developing a comprehensive long-term preservation plan is essential to ensure the ongo-
ing maintenance and accessibility of historical digital photos. This plan should address aspects such as storage,
metadata management, and format migration strategies.
8. Copyright and Intellectual Property: Understanding and respecting copyright and intellectual property rights is
crucial when dealing with historical digital photos. Ensure proper permissions and usage rights are obtained be- fore sharing or publishing images. Having the appropriate agreements with the photographers can avoid future issues with the photographer or their estates.
9. Access and Security: Balancing accessibility with appropriate security measures is vital for preserving historical digital photos. Implement access controls, user permissions, and encryption methods to protect sensitive or restricted content.
10. Regular Monitoring and Maintenance: Continuous monitoring of the digital photo collection is necessary to identify and address any potential issues, such as data corruption, hardware failures, or metadata inconsistencies. Regular maintenance activities, such as data integrity checks and backups, should be performed to ensure the ongoing preservation of the images.
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