This method would avoid excessive handling of the book. It would also provide a photographic quality image that could be used for future digitizing projects. In other words, the primary image would be of good quality and could be re-scanned in future years as technologies improve. This method, however, has a major drawback. Any archivist would warn that color prints and slides are not stable media for long term storage.
Colors deteriorate too rapidly.
The negatives themselves have a longer life expectancy but are also subject to damage and deterioration. We chose to photograph the images to avoid intrusive handling of the originals and to provide a good quality image. Like many others, we question whether this medium will withstand technological changes and environmental stresses. The physical lifetime of a CD is not that of certain books or other storage media. Of more concern, though, is the viability in terms of technological changes.