My father was an incredible amateur photographer who left us with all of his work. We now have literally hundreds and thousands of  slides from family events, vacations, and the sort. My goal is to scan them to my computer and burn a DVD for my family, most importantly my mother. Is there a suggested method, device, or service that will help get all these slides to the right format with good quality? Should I purchase a 35mm slide scanner just for this project or is there another way?

I recently came across some old negatives and was wondering if anyone had some advice for me.

I have a 35 mm slide film that is about 30 years old. I would really like to minimize the potential for damage. My 35mm slide scanner can hold straight strips of up to 5 frames, so I want to get them in this form. The scanner can also scan plastic or cardboard frames that are used for holding single frames of 35mm slide film. Any advice?