Preserve
We are focused on the preservation and digital accessibility of historical collections and documents so that your community’s history is available for current and future generations.
Access
We are committed to greater access to historical content. We work to digitize local history to make it more easily accessible.
Connect
We believe that the preservation and accessibility of our collective history is a shared responsibility, and our role is to provide free and open access to the past leading to a more connected future.
We Are Advantage Archives
Making History Accessible to Anyone from Anywhere
We work to digitize history to make it discoverable and easily accessible, allowing communities to understand and connect to their past in a meaningful way. Our Mission is the long-term preservation of the past as told by the individuals that witnessed it. We preserve the past, make it accessible in the present, and ensure it has a future.
Read About It!
Check out our latest blogs posts and articles!
September 26, 2024
Weathering The Storm – Protection & Recovery Of Local History CollectionsIn the face of extreme weather events due to climate change, many of our partners have faced natural disasters, including floods and derechos right here in our hometown. Libraries, museums, and cultural institutions across the country have taken note, and have learned that creating a comprehensive disaster recovery plan is essential. However, the difference between […]
September 24, 2024
The Community History Archives: This Week In History September 23rd – September 30thArnold Palmer is considered one of the greatest professional golf players of all time, having made a huge impact on the public image of the sport. Golf was a sport that until Palmer’s time was considered only a pastime for the upper class to enjoy. However, Palmer helped to change this perception and made golf […]
September 16, 2024
The Community History Archives: This Week In History September 16th – September 22ndOn September 18, 2017, Hurricane Maria continued to grow in severity as it headed towards the US Territory of Puerto Rico. The island’s Public Safety Commissioner was quoted in the Moultrie Observer as warning those in the path of the hurricane that they had to evacuate, or else they would die. That day, it reached […]
Our Services
Old or new, we offer solutions for the past, present, & future of your documents.
Digital Archive Hosting
When converting your archive to digital format, we host your file on a secure domain that is accessible to your community. This makes your communities archive accessible and incredibly user-friendly. You will find yourself using your archives much more frequently with this wonderful and user-friendly tool!
Document Digitization
The content contained on paper documents gives a firsthand account of the and informs our perspective of history, that shaped not only your community, but also your state, and the nation…from a local perspective. Although historical newspaper imaging is our specialty, we have an equal passion for all historic documents, including vital records, family bibles, transcripts, journals, and more. All documents and fragile papers are evaluated and processed to assure proper care and accurate conversion. Our experience covers a broad range of document types from a few days, a few years, or even 200 years ago. All phases of the archival document imaging process, such as preparation, document scanning, document indexing, etc., are managed effectively by the experienced team at Advantage. We work closely with our clients through the entire lifecycle of the project utilizing proven project management and preservation methodologies.
Document Preservation
The history recorded in the documents from communities across the country is invaluable. Newspapers, atlases, almanacs, personal journals, directories, government documents…and even yearbooks can put historical events in perspective, and allow us to view those events through the lens of someone who was there and witnessed “history as it happened”. It also allows us to connect to our past in a real and tangible way. This cultural asset must be protected and preserved so future generations can have access to the documents that would otherwise be lost to the erosion of time if they remained on fragile paper. The only true way to ensure its survival is through microfilming.
Information Management Solutions
Historical preservation is far from our only area of expertise! Our dedicated commercial document imaging solution division AdvantageIMS is dedicated to providing solutions for more documents critical to your business or organization. Archiving and retrieving information may not be your core competency. It is ours. We provide solutions tailored to your specific requirements. Advantage Archives commercial division has provided document management solutions for many years. We pride ourselves in our understanding of business documents and their impact on your bottom line. We listen to your needs and requirements and design a solution specific to your company and its clients.
Microfilm Digitization
Microfilm digitization is the key to unlocking content that is not currently accessible in a practical way. Creating a digital archive is a powerful tool that will save time by searching through a community’s history by name, date range, keywords, publication, or location. Advantage Archives offers a budget-friendly digital solution, and an easy-to-use content delivery system to materials via our Community History Archives hosted search portals.
Digitization Of Historical Books And Bound Volumes
Digitization Of Historical Books And Bound Volumes
Our advanced imaging equipment, innovative post-processing methodologies, and years of experience ensure that the content contained in your history books, journals, bound newspaper volumes, ledgers, scrapbooks, and other collated paper documents is never lost to age, deterioration, fading, ripped, and torn pages, broken bindings, or skin oils and other contaminants. It allows for practical online access to this valuable content. The original, alongside microfilm or a different preservation plan, can be treated as the preservation copy, ensuring the range has a future.
Digitization Of Yearbooks And Annuals
Digitizing yearbooks creates a portal to your community’s past! Alumni, genealogists, or anyone that is looking to relive their youth can search and browse the faces, names, and memories contained in the pages of your community’s school yearbooks. When paired with other materials such as newspapers, or city directories, memories can be unlocked as to what was happening during those years at school. It becomes such a powerful and essential tool to help connect your community.
Digitization Of Photographic Materials
Digitization ensures that your photographs, negatives, or slides can be viewed anytime, anywhere, from any device, allowing you to relive those moments in the community through pictures of the people, places, and events that shaped your community and will enable you to share those moments with others. Once digitized, the original copy is to be tucked away and stored to keep in pristine condition and allows the image to be shown to all that want to see it.
Digitization Of Maps, Atlases, And Land Records
Our purpose-built, high-resolution large format scanners and our sophisticated two-camera digital imaging systems allow us to capture your maps and other large-format documents, as well as historical atlases, land records, plats, or other bound volumes in a non-destructive manner, providing the best possible image quality. Doing so ensures that these large records can be converted over to a much more portable and easily searchable format, which will make the time looking for certain plots, locations, statistics, or figures much more accessible and will save you time and money in the long run.
Who We Partner With
We partner with institutions, community leaders, and other like-minded individuals to preserve the past, and ensure its future.
Libraries & Historical Societies
The Advantage Archives team has been partnering with community libraries, library systems, historical societies, and other cultural institutions to preserve and provide practical digital access to their community’s printed history. We want to help your institution put history at the fingertips of anyone interested and connect the members of your community to their past in a very tangible and meaningful way.
See How We Can HelpEducational Institutions
We work with educational institutions of all sizes, both public and private and we understand the importance of the services they provide their students, their community, their state, and beyond. We have partnered with these college & university libraries, K-12 schools, & other educational organizations to provide digitization of school newspapers, yearbooks, programs, alumni records, and more, as well as digital access solutions.
See How We Can HelpGovernment Agencies
Advantage Archives has been partnering with Government Agencies across the country. We can preserve and digitize all the documents housed within your organization. We know that many of these documents and books are extremely fragile, so we handle these documents with extreme care. Not only do our services ensure that these records never are damaged, but it also eases workflow, and allows you to publish certain records on your website for public access.
See How We Can HelpGovernment Agencies
Advantage Archives has been partnering with Government Agencies across the country. We can preserve and digitize all the documents housed within your organization. We know that many of these documents and books are extremely fragile, so we handle these documents with extreme care. Not only do our services ensure that these records never are damaged, but it also eases workflow, and allows you to publish certain records on your website for public access.
See How We Can HelpCommercial Markets
Advantage Information Management System is dedicated to providing solutions to industries and government agencies everywhere. Businesses large and small value their partnership with Advantage, as much as we value ours with them. Archiving and retrieving information may not be your core competency, but it is ours. We listen to your needs and requirements and design a solution specific to your organizations and those you serve.
See How We Can HelpChurches and Religious Organizations
The Advantage Archives team has been partnering with community libraries, library systems, historical societies, and other cultural institutions to preserve and provide practical digital access to their community’s printed history. We want to help your institution put history at the fingertips of anyone interested and connect the members of your community to their past in a very tangible and meaningful way.
See How We Can HelpMuseums And Cultural Institutions
Advantage Archives is a proud partner of Museums and Cultural Intuitions across the country with a partnership. Our Mission is to preserve the past, making it Accessible today, ensuring it has a future. That is why we feel that our partnerships are so significant to each other.
See How We Can HelpGenealogical Societies
Advantage Archives is a proud partner to Genealogical Societies across the country. With a partnership between Advantage and your agency, we can bring forgotten stories back to life and viewable to the public. Together, we can create a partnership that will allow someone to piece together their family tree.
See How We Can HelpNewspaper Publishers
Newspaper publishers have recorded their community’s “first draft of history” every day. We preserve that history on microfilm and partner with the publisher to make that preserved content widely available to not only the libraries and institutions in their community but to the community as a whole. It is your community, so we ensure it is accessible for all. The service will be done at no cost to our qualifying publishing partners.
See How We Can HelpCommunity History Archive Directory
Advantage partners with communities across the United States to archive & provide practical digital access to local historical content in print that would otherwise be lost to the erosion of time. If you would like to see more local history online, please contact your local library, newspaper publisher, genealogical society, historical society, or educational institution, and encourage them to learn more about creating a Community History Archive or have them contact Advantage Archives at (855) 303-2727.
Testimonials
Don't Just Take Our Word For It...
Kenneth R. Marks
Beth Zakcohen (Newark, NJ Public Library)
Debbie
Zack Kucharski
Cedar Rapids Gazette Executive Editor
Cynthia Jennings
Library Director at the Old Town Public Library
Karen Sutera
The Harvard Diggins Library Director
Diane Pamel
Southworth Public Library Director
Michelle Setlik
Hall County Historical Society Board Member
Fr. McDaniel
Retired History Professor of St. Ambrose University, Davenport
Andy Sherman
Director of The Anna Storm Memorial Library
Angela Scales
Library Director of The Ida Grove Library
Debbie Saunders
Director of the Bossard Memorial Library
Susan Pieper
Library Director
Shanna Speer
Nevada Library Director
Erin Horst
Materials Manager at the Cedar Rapids Public Library
Debbie Stanton
Washington Public Library Director
Lisa Powell Williams
Adult/Young Adult Services Coordinator, Moline Public Library
Zack Kucharski
Cedar Rapids Gazette Executive Editor
Melinda Krick
Editor of The Paulding Progress
Anastasia Weigle
Caribou Public Library Director
Candice Smith
Information Librarian At The Old Town Library
Anne Mangano
Collection Services Coordinator at the Bidford Public Library
Lisa Powell Williams
Adult/Young Adult Services Coordinator, Moline Public Library
Ryan Gjerde
Luther College Preus Library Director
Ann Tice
Supporter And Donor To Community History Projects in the Midwest
Jennifer Gaenzle
Fort Fairfield Public Library Director
Karen Tobin
Assistant Library Director Of The Goodnow Library
Shane Molander
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Sue Gardner
Local History Librarian at the Albert Wisner Public Library
Charlotte Trosclair
Director of the Vermilion Parish Library System
Cathy Beaudoin
Director of the Dover Public Library
Cynthia Jennings
Director at the Old Town Public Library
Scott Schaut
Curator of the Mansfield Memorial Museum
Tim McDuff
Technical Services Preservation Library
Jeanne Triplett
Library Director at the Yuma Public Library District
Alyson Thompson
Library Director at the Marshall Public Library
Joel Shoemaker
Director at Illinois Prairie District Public Library
Lisa Powell Williams
Adult/Young Adult Services Coordinator, Moline Public Library
Michelle Setlik
Hall County Historical Society
Becky Baker
Library Director Of the Seward Memorial Library - Seward, Nebraska
Sue Ayers
Director of the Clyde-Savannah Public Library
Mary Haney
Director of the Hennessey Public Library
Patti Smith
Director - Brimfield Public Library
Shari Minnehan
Director of the Churdan Public Library
Jane Millard
Director of the Jefferson Public
Luann Waldo
Editor of The Scranton Journal
Kimberly Bohnet
Library Director, Paton Library
Amanda Taylor
Director, Concordia Parish Library
Lola Seitz
Director, Pawnee City Public Library - Pawnee City, NE
Becky Baker
Director, Seward Memorial Library - Seward, Nebraska
Sue Ayers
Director, Clyde-Savannah Public Library
Kate Lewis
Director, Carnagie Public Library
Patti Smith
Director, Brimfield Public Library
Jane Millard
Director, Jefferson Public Library
Ruby Coleman
Genealogist
Sarah N.M. Harris
Senior Associate Registrar, University of Iowa
Dawn Thistle - Special Collections Librarian
Gardiner Public Library - Gardiner ME
Sharon Gonzalez
Linn County Treasurer
Mary Haney
Director, Hennessey Public Library