Digital Archives Expanded Through Collaboration with Our Digitization Partners: Preserving and Accessing Historical Microfilm Publications and Original Records in a Modern Format
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is in the midst of a significant digitization project, aiming to make its vast collection of microfilm publications and original records more accessible to the public. One of the collections undergoing digitization is the Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Pascagoula, Mississippi, but the process is not yet complete.
Many NARA collections have already been microfilmed and some have been digitized and made available on popular genealogy platforms such as Ancestry.com, Fold3.com, and FamilySearch.org. These digital efforts are part of a hybrid preservation strategy, combining the physical preservation strengths of microfilm with the accessibility of digital images.
However, comprehensive digital access to all records, including specific vessel passenger lists, may still be limited. The Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Pascagoula, Mississippi, have been partially digitized and indexed on these platforms, but gaps remain due to the fact that not all microfilms have been digitized or fully indexed yet. Additionally, some smaller or less accessed datasets might remain primarily on microfilm or in NARA’s physical holdings.
NARA endorses microfilm as a stable archival medium with a 500-year life expectancy and continues to use it alongside ongoing digitization efforts. The digital images generated are increasingly made accessible online, but the process is gradual, prioritizing record types and user demand.
For the most current and direct access, users can view microfilm in-person at NARA facilities or affiliated libraries, such as the Harvard Library or local institutions that hold NARA microfilms. They can also explore online databases of Ancestry, Fold3, and FamilySearch for digitized collections.
Here are some microfilm publication numbers for various records:
- Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Charleston, South Carolina, from April 9, 1906, to August 21, 1948: 2723253.
- Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Pascagoula, Mississippi, from January 1, 1907, to September 5, 1928: 3054047.
- Alien Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Savannah, Georgia, from June 5, 1906, to June 20, 1948: 2945950.
- Alien and Chinese Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Charleston, South Carolina, from June 16, 1907, to April 26, 1913: 2723258.
- Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Florida, from December 1, 1957, to November 8, 1969: 2922374.
- Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Portland, Maine, from April 13, 1946, to November 24, 1954: 2924296.
- Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Burbank, California, from September 1958 to July 1959: 2838669.
- Alien Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Savannah, Georgia, from 1901 to November 30, 1954: 2945942.
- U.S. Citizen Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Savannah, Georgia, from June 5, 1906, to June 20, 1948: 2945976.
- Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Pascagoula, Mississippi, from July 15, 1903, to May 21, 1935 (duplicate of M2027): 4486713.
In summary, while significant portions of NARA microfilm collections, including some passenger lists for Pascagoula, are digitized and accessible on Ancestry.com, Fold3.com, and FamilySearch.org, the full digitization and integration of these records is still an ongoing process. Researchers may need to consult both digital platforms and physical microfilm resources to access the complete holdings.
Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a crucial role in the ongoing digitization of NARA's collections, as digital images are made accessible online for public viewing. The process of digitizing all records, including specific vessel passenger lists like those for Pascagoula, Mississippi, is not yet complete, and some records remain primarily on microfilm or in NARA's physical holdings.
