Three services, one purpose: records you can find and use.
From a two-hour mapping visit to a twelve-month programme, Pusaka Works organises, preserves and digitises family paper records at the right scale for your holding.
Back to HomeHow Pusaka Works approaches every collection
Every project begins with a survey of what is held and where — not just a list of document types, but a physical record of which container holds which category, in which room, at which location. This survey produces the master sheet from which all subsequent work flows.
Materials are assessed for condition before rehousing begins. Items in fragile condition are photographed first. Nothing is discarded, and nothing is interpreted — everything is categorised and placed in a format that makes its purpose and location clear to anyone who picks up the master sheet.
Digitisation follows rehousing. Scanning at 600dpi with optical text recognition means the resulting files can be searched by text rather than scrolled through by eye. The file-naming scheme is written down and kept with the physical record so the logic is not locked in the head of the person who created it.
Where a document needs professional attention, that is noted in writing and included in the handover pack. The family leaves each project with a complete record, a clear index and a written note of anything that has been referred onward.
Storage Map & Labelling Session
A two-hour appointment producing a written map of where a household's papers of record physically sit — which cabinet, which box, which safe deposit facility, which digital location. Each category is labelled consistently, a numbered contents card is placed with every container, and a single master sheet records the whole arrangement in one page.
The purpose is retrieval: any family member should be able to find a document without opening every box. The session covers physical organisation only. No document is read for meaning, drafted, assessed, witnessed or submitted.
What is included
- Full physical survey of all storage locations
- Numbered contents card placed in every container
- Single master sheet — entire holding on one page
- Written note of items appearing to need professional attention
- On-site at your location
Session steps
- 01Walk every storage location together and photograph the current arrangement
- 02Assign category labels and place numbered contents cards in each container
- 03Compile the master sheet and review it with the family member present
- 04Hand over the master sheet and written referral notes at the end of the appointment
Families who have papers in multiple locations but no clear record of what is where. Also useful as a first step before undertaking preservation or digitisation work — the map tells you what you have before any other decision is made.
Families whose paper records include older or fragile items — land documents, certificates from decades past, handwritten correspondence — and who want a preserved physical copy alongside a searchable digital set. Volume up to one thousand pages within standard scope.
Preservation & Digitisation Project
A four-to-six week project converting a family's paper record into a preserved and searchable set. Includes archival boxes, inert sleeves and acid-neutral folders, flat storage for fragile items, scanning at 600dpi with optical text recognition, a written file-naming scheme, a full contents index, and delivery on encrypted local media held by the family.
Older items such as land papers, certificates and correspondence are handled with gloves and photographed before and after rehousing. The project is archival and administrative throughout.
What is included
- Archival boxes, acid-neutral folders and inert sleeves
- Before-and-after photography of fragile items
- 600dpi scanning with optical text recognition
- Written file-naming scheme and full contents index
- Delivery on encrypted local media — no cloud upload
- Up to 1,000 pages within standard scope
Project steps
- 01Collection of originals with written custody record
- 02Condition assessment and before-photography of fragile items
- 03Rehousing in archival materials; flat storage where required
- 04600dpi scanning with OCR; file-naming scheme applied
- 05Index compiled; encrypted media prepared
- 06Originals returned and media handed over together
Heritage Records Programme
A twelve-month programme for families holding papers across several properties, generations or states. Includes the storage map session, the preservation and digitisation project, quarterly review meetings, an updated master index reissued each quarter, and a written handover pack for the family member nominated to hold the map.
Also includes a short annual session with the family to record oral notes about provenance, so the origin of older items is not lost. Drafting, interpretation, witnessing, filing and representation are outside scope throughout and are referred to appropriately qualified professionals in writing.
What is included
- Storage Map & Labelling Session (Service 01)
- Preservation & Digitisation Project (Service 02)
- Quarterly review meetings — 4 per year
- Updated master index reissued each quarter
- Annual oral-provenance recording session
- Plain-language vocabulary reference sheet for common document terms
- Written handover pack for nominated family custodian
Families whose holdings span more than one property, more than one generation or more than one state — where a single session is not enough and where the record needs to stay current as the family's circumstances change. Also suited to families where the person who holds the knowledge of older documents is approaching a point where that knowledge should be recorded.
Which service fits your situation?
Each service is complete in itself. The Heritage Programme includes Services 01 and 02 within a twelve-month structure.
| Feature included | STORAGE MAP RM 490 |
PRESERVATION RM 2,400 |
HERITAGE PROGRAMME RM 4,550 / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-site survey and photograph of storage locations | |||
| Numbered contents cards in every container | |||
| Single master sheet — complete holding on one page | |||
| Archival-grade rehousing materials | |||
| 600dpi scanning with OCR | |||
| Encrypted local media delivery | |||
| Quarterly index updates and review meetings | |||
| Annual oral-provenance recording session | |||
| Written handover pack for nominated custodian |
Standards that apply across every service
Data security
Digital output on encrypted media only. No cloud upload. No retention of copies after handover. Chain of custody documented in writing from collection to return.
Archival materials
All rehousing uses pH-neutral boxes and folders. Plastic wallets and rubber bands are removed. Items in fragile condition photographed before handling.
Scanning quality
600dpi minimum for all project work. Optical text recognition applied to every file. File-naming scheme written down and included in the handover pack.
Scope transparency
Items outside our scope are noted by category in writing. The appropriate professional type is recorded. No verbal referrals — written notes only.
Family-usable output
Every output is written for a family member who was not present during the work. Plain headings, consistent categories, no assumed knowledge of the system.
Written service agreement
Every project begins with a written scope agreement. Scope, deliverables, timeline and custody arrangements are confirmed in writing before work begins.
Transparent pricing in Malaysian Ringgit
- 2-hour on-site appointment
- Numbered contents cards
- Master sheet
- Written referral notes
- Archival materials included
- 600dpi scanning + OCR
- Encrypted local media
- Contents index
- 4–6 week delivery
- Services 01 + 02 included
- 4 quarterly reviews
- Oral-provenance session
- Handover pack
- 12-month programme
Travel charges may apply for locations outside Penang. Volumes exceeding 1,000 pages discussed before work begins.
Not sure which service suits your situation?
Send us a message and describe your holding — how many locations, roughly how many boxes, and how old the oldest papers are. We will suggest the right starting point.
Get in Touch