Digitizing Collections: Digitizing

1. Planning 
2. Selection
3. Digitizing materials
4. Processing files, creating master and access files
5. Metadata creation or re-purposing
6. Digital preservation of master files
7. Presentation of access files in an online content management platform

Digitization Principles

• Capture at the highest resolution appropriate to the informational content of the originals 
• Capture at an appropriate level of quality to avoid re-handling of the originals in the future—capture once 
• Create and store a master file that can be used to produce derivative files 
• Use system components that are non-proprietary
• Use file formats and compression techniques that conform to industry standards
• Create backup copies of all files
• Monitor back-up to assure integrity of files 
• Outline a migration strategy for transferring data across generations of technology 
• Anticipate and plan for future technological developments