Why Everything In The Archives Isn't Digitized (Yet)

In the spirit of American Archives Month, this October we’ve compiled a three-blog series about what archivists do and how we make collections accessible. While our first blog post delved into acquisitions and the second examined processing and cataloging, this post will focus on digitization and access.

If you ever want to really get under an archivist's skin, ask them why everything in the archives isn't digitized — and be sure to add, "How hard could it be?!"

Read on to learn more about just what goes into the digitization process (spoiler alert: it's not just scanning!)

DECIDING WHICH ITEMS TO DIGITIZE

How do we determine which records should be digitized? Evaluation is the first step in the digitization process. Because we have limited resources in terms of staff hours, equipment, and archival file storage, we have to make choices.

Those choices are guided by our document "Digitization Criteria: Criteria for Selection of Collections and Materials for Digitization by the Denver Public Library," which lays out criteria in the areas of content, object, accessibility, and capacity:

Content

• Must support library values and priorities, including Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to ensure underrepresented communities are represented.
• Selection should include items that are of interest to general audiences as well as scholars.

Object

• The format of the information to be digitized should lend itself particularly well to display in an electronic medium, such as archival, photographic, map and other visual collections.
• Rapidly deteriorating material should be considered before more stable material.
• Materials can be chosen for digitization based on physical condition as well as items which are unique, rare, or historic.

Accessibility

• The materials selected need to be in the public domain or the library has ownership or copyright permission to use the materials.
• Items with sufficient information to create adequate metadata are preferred.

Capacity

• Amount of materials and the size of a collection will be considered.
• Digitization can be accomplished with currently owned and operated DPL equipment, as well as maximizing its efficient use.
• Matching the physical properties of the items to the capability of our equipment and staff
• Selection may take into consideration possible projects that could be funded by grants or donations.

DIGITIZATION: MORE THAN JUST "SCAN AND SAVE!"

Imaging labs in the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and the Western History and Genealogy department adhere to the ALCTS Minimum Digitization Capture Recommendations to digitally preserve master archival objects.

For static media — think photos and paper-based documents — these standards vary depending on material type and size. While most people see a resolution of 600 pixels per inch (PPI) as high, per the ALCTS Capture Recommendations, 600 would be insufficient for a 35mm film negative. The ALCTS instead recommends a PPI between 800 and 2800. On top of resolution, there is also bit-depth and minimum long-edge pixel length to consider.

The equipment used to digitize static media include Epson Expression 10000 XL flatbed scanners and a PhaseOne P65+ digital back scanner. Adobe Photoshop software is employed to minimally edit service copies of digital files. Typically, an image will be minimally cropped and have levels (the amount of brightness, contrast, and tonal range) adjusted to make the digital image appear more like the original item.

Finally, the images are uploaded to the digital repository. They are then available to be searched and viewed in the Digital Collections.