In a pinch, you can use your cell phone's camera to get a decent scan of these awesome photos—as long as you follow a few simple tips.

Every day, we come across digital images that have been improperly digitized or improperly handled. The damage to these images may be unrecoverable, especially if original prints or slides no longer exist. Learning the best practices for handling digital images is crucial to ensure images will be preserved for the future.

Is there anything more frustrating than finding a beautiful old photo among your family history possessions, only to turn it over and find nothing written on the back? Everyone who might know the story behind that photo is already gone, and you are left wondering who these people are and how they fit into your life.

It was easy to write on the back of a print, and yet many people never took the time. But how do you "write on the back" of a digital photo? It's actually not difficult. Taking a few extra seconds to identify a digital photo before you upload or share it can save future generations from the frustration of wondering who you were.