EXPERIENCE
History Is Everything is a division of Advantage Archives, a trusted partner of libraries, museums, educational institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations, historical societies, and genealogical organizations across the United States, helping them preserve and provide access to their local history through archiving and digitization. We make their valuable collections free to access by the community through an online digital archive platform: The Community History Archives. Advantage has partnered with over 1000 institutions across the United States providing free access to historical content, including 110M newspaper pages, dating as far back as 1773. We have also digitized millions of even older non-newspaper documents including some from the late 1600s
We discovered early on that our Community History Archive platform can also be used quite effectively for the preservation & access of family history, so we adopted the model, and extended our offerings to individuals offering the same ease and power of our institutional offerings.
Your own personal online archive ensures the history contained in pictures, on video, or on paper, can be easily accessed anytime from anywhere. Family history does not need to be locked behind a paywall or exclusively available via a prohibitively expensive subscription service. If you would rather keep your collection private, you can restrict access to your collection using a username & password.
In addition to the "My History Archive" platform, your digitized files will be provided to you on a DVD, optional USB hard drive, or made available to download from FTP or cloud service. You can use the digital files created from your books, records, tapes, negative, slides, and photos anywhere including other genealogical websites.
As part of your subscription to your "My History Archive", we will maintain backups of your digital collections on our secure servers. You may request a copy of your archive be sent to you in the event your DVD, HDD, the flash drive has been lost or damaged. You will only be charged for the replacement media.
When your boxes arrive at our 80,000 sq foot facility we will perform an inventory, prepare the materials for digitization, and stage them in a secure space until they are processed. Our advanced document imaging center has been designed for historic preservation services, digitization, and document scanning. Our building features an ANSI/AIIM compliant microfilm storage vault, certified film lab, and a Firelock Fireproof Modular Vault.
The building is equipped with motion detectors, magnetic locks, smoke and heat detectors, glass break detectors, a high-density fire suppression system, and surveillance cameras. All of our associates are insured and bonded, having completed a background check at the time of employment, and are bound by a confidentiality agreement. They have years of experience handling delicate materials for libraries, museums, and institutions across the country, and have prepared and cared for documents that are centuries old. They are trained in the safe handling and care of all materials, including the invaluable collection you have entrusted us with.
YOUR HISTORY IS EVERYTHING!
By creating a digital copy of your history captured to film, you capture the past in a format that is not susceptible to the same risk factors as your analog collection. If you don’t digitize the documents and recordings, you risk losing everything to the passage of time. Digitization not only allows you to preserve your past but it also allows you to share and connect others to your history as well. It is easier than you might think!
Preserve It!
The history documented in the pictures, papers, slides, negatives, and recordings you have accumulated over the years represents your personal history. You may not realize it, but that history is fading away a little bit each day. Your photos, home movies, documents, and slides are losing their color, beginning to become brittle, and losing the battle in the war against time. By creating a digital copy of the recorded accounts of your history, you capture the past in a format that is not susceptible to the same risk factors as your analog collection.
Archive It!
The "My History Archive" is an online hosting, search platform, and access tools that power your archive, transforming your collection of files into an archive that can be explored for new discoveries, or for reliving old memories. You can share what you discover with others, and connect with your past in a way you could not with a box of old photos, a scrapbook of clippings, or a DVD of pictures. As more people create open "My History Archive"s a network of free genealogical tools will emerge, allowing for “crowdsourcing” of your family history research.
Share It!
Family history does not need to be locked behind a paywall or exclusively available via a prohibitively expensive subscription service. This is YOUR history, and you can share it with anyone you choose, at any time, and on any device. You can also explore, clip, and share information you find on any "My History Archive" that an owner has made available to use as a free resource for others, or leverage the hundreds of free Community History Archives created by libraries, genealogical societies, heritage centers, and other institutions across the country.
PROTECTING YOUR PAST
As part of your subscription to your "My History Archive", we will maintain backups of your digital collections on our secure servers. You may request a copy of your archive be sent to you in the event your DVD, HDD, the flash drive has been lost or damaged. You will only be charged for the replacement media. You can also make as many duplicates as you would like of the DVD or flash drive, so you can make extra backups or create a copy to share with family and friends.
YOUR HISTORY, YOUR WAY
At no charge, we will provide your choice of either a set of DVDs or an 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB USB flash drive containing your complete archive, allowing you to view the images or videos on your DVD player, or upload them to your favorite photo management cloud service. We also offer an optional 500GB or 1TB USB hard drives that can be purchased for larger collections.
MORE
Fading Memories
The history documented in the pictures, papers, and recordings you have accumulated over the years represents your personal history. You may not realize it, but that history is fading away a little bit each day. There is a better way!
Why Should I?
Genealogists and hobbyists often find themselves limited to large content aggregators and subscription services for performing their research, as well as organizing and viewing their family history online. That is no longer true!
What Can I Add?
Your personal history has been recorded in countless formats over the years, from letters, photos, and video, to old family recipes, journals, and clippings. There is no limit as to what you can add to your archive over time!