Use this page for a detailed discussion on scanning and digital file processing for digitization. These guidelines discuss the first step of the digitization process and does so at a level that assumes that preservation is one of the reasons that digitization is being considered. As a result, the standards and guidelines are at a higher level than they might otherwise be for digitization for the sole purpose of providing access.
Table of Contents
Always scan in Color in the Adobe RGB 1998 Colorspace.
File Resolutions
Photographs, medium and large format negatives, and glass lantern slides:
Bigger than 8x10: 800 dpi
8x10 and smaller: 1000 dpi
Text based materials:
Bigger than 8x10: 600 dpi
8x10 and smaller: 800 dpi
Small format negatives and slides (ex. 35mm): 2400 dpi
Scanned Photographs and images (text, art, pamphlets etc.): Preservation: TIFF/JPEG2000 Display: TIFF, JPEG2000, JPEG
Audio: Preservation: WAVE, AIFF, Broadcast WAVE Display: WAVE, AIFF, Broadcast WAVE, MP3, MP4
Video: Preservation: MPEG4 Display: MPEG4
Born Digital Text (word processing documents, spreadsheets etc.): Preservation: PDF, PDF/A, Original format (ex. Word Document)
Machine Readable Texts: Preservation: XML, DTD
Born Digital Images: Preservation: TIFF, Digital Negative, JPEG2000
Archival Collections:
Collection number_box number_file number_item number
For example: MS1_01_01_001 (add a or b for front and back if needed)
Personal Papers:
Lastname and first initial_Journal or event_citation or date
For example:
DoeJ_ALAPoster_Midwinter 2012
DoeJ_JAMA_Vol1No1Pg100
Lastname and first intitial_shortened title_date
DoeJ_DigitalStandards_20121108
DoeJ_DigitalStandards_201211
DoeJ_DigitalStandards_Fall2012
Cataloged Items:
Use call numbers in the system.
Make items square and crop close to the edge but let the entire item be in view to show that nothing has been removed.
[show a sample for each?]
Square center image for uneven cut items and crop to outer edge of the paper still.
Crop book pages to opposite side of gutter to show the entire page.
Review all materials to make sure they are accurate to the original and there is not any debris on the image. Check that all standards for project are met. The importance of maintaining a clean workspace for helping to ensure quality control can not be overemphasized.
Back up all files to external hard drives or other stable storage device. Do not rely on the computer's hard drive alone.
All items should be made as accessible as possible to allow access and use of the materials to the widest audience possible. It has been argued that persons with disabilities have free access to a wide range of services, therefore there is no need to make collections accessible. However, a large number of people with mild disabilities do not qualify for the free services so the extra effort on our part will enable the widening of access to everyone.
How will the digital items be delivered? Will delivery be handled only through the handling of digital files, or will printing into a physical format also be available. Policies should be created to handle all eventualities and a fee scale should be developed. In addition to pricing, consideration should be given to time frame for filling orders, sizing, and set up fees.
Scanning processing guide
- A step by step guide that maps out the entire scanning process.
Scanning sheet
- Document the scanning process for technical, descriptive, and preservation metadata and future conservation of the item
Local metadata style guide
- A local metadata style guide will help in the creation of consistent metadata. The style guide should describe fields used, why they are used, and how they should be best filled in. If there is going to be any crosswalking of metadata from one schema to another, the style guide is also a good place to map fields out. See the section on Metadata for more information.
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