Items should be scanned from the best copy available and from the closest derivative to the first generation if the original first generation item is not available. The digital copy should be created at the set resolution for its size – if possible – for preservation purposes, and to allow for the best opportunities for future changes and conversions. The physical item should be reviewed for current condition taking the following considerations:

• damage to the item
•  its fragility
• digitization requirements
• amount of time to make a good quality digital copy,
•  has the item already been digitized
• if so will can a better job digital copy be made or is it worth a rescan,
• how will the item be displayed.

The items to be scanned should be organized properly so that they can be scanned in the appropriate order. How the collection will be displayed should be determined so that the scans will match the display choices. The format of the original item will inform some of these decisions.

Particularly tricky can be items with multiple parts included in one image. For example, if a collection has newsletters with articles it is important to decide if the whole newsletter will be included or if each article will be extracted and displayed with reference to the original newsletter. In this circumstance it is still best to scan the entire newsletter to preserve the original formatting and style, even if extraction of the articles will take place at a later time.