GSBC Extra
“Picturing” Your Research—Finding, Procuring, and Preserving Images (Revised, in two parts)
Presented by Michelle D. Novak, MI
Did you realize that you have a UNIQUE archive in your house right now? Your family photos! Your research can come alive with images but finding, scanning, and preserving them can be a daunting prospect. In this series, we’ll explore using images in your research—from the view of Michelle D. Novak, a brand designer, photographer, and Masters of Information candidate at Rutgers University. (P.S., It’s her favorite topic!)
Part one focuses on how to understand and preserve the images you may have lingering in your photo albums and shoeboxes. We’ll also look at ways to find images in online collections, how photos can bring deeper meaning to your research, introduce some archival supplies to preserve your originals for future generations, and look at how to connect with members of your family through with photos.
Part two of this series (to come) will be all about scanning, retouching, and organizing images. Novak will walk us through how to scan images like a pro, some dos and don’ts of retouching, introduce some basic concepts to organize your images, and peek at some tools that can help you identify the people in them. It’s an exciting, ever-evolving world—and one that can bring your family research to life.
Handout: Picturing Your Research—Part One, ©2021 Michelle D. Novak, MI
Michelle D. Novak, MI, is a brand-designer (mnd.nyc), historian, genealogist, archivist, and speaker. She holds a Masters of Information degree in Archives and Preservation from Rutgers University and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has served in leadership positions (current and former) with the Society of American Archivists, Genealogical Society of Bergen County, Genealogical Society of New Jersey, and American Institute of Graphic Arts-NY Chapter; and served as the Grant Administrator for a NHPRC project at the New Jersey State Archives.
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