Special Collections creates digital surrogates of archival materials for preservation and access. Most of the reproductions we produce are for patron requests, but some of our digitization work is for display in Digital Collections.
Special Collections follows widely accepted best practices as well as local policies and procedures to produce archival copies of digitized materials. It is important to remember that digitization is time- and cost-intensive, and it is not a substitute for good preservation practices. We cannot digitize everything, but we do prioritize heavily used and fragile materials.
Special Collections has utilized the following resources when digitizing large collections and/or audiovisual materials.
WNYLRC Access and Innovation Grant
We have also worked with UB Libraries staff to digitize archival materials. For larger collections, please contact Ron Gaczewski. For audiovisual materials, please contact Omar Brown.
Before scanning, create a folder for your collection on the Y Drive: Arch Photo > Scans In Progress. This will be a temporary folder used to hold the working files.
For patron scans, name the folder for the patron's name: "Last Name, First Name." For all other scans, name the folder with the collection number and name (e.g. "9-12-1403 Frances Proctor Ames papers").
Depending on the format of the source material, archival materials can be digitized using the Epson Scan software, Silverfast Ai Studio software, Toshiba copier, Nikon camera, or the Bookeye scanner.
| Source | Scanner to Use |
|---|---|
| Loose papers and photographs | Epson Expression 12000XL |
| Slides | Plustek Optic Film 8200i OR Epson Expression 12000 XL |
| Large and/or delicate materials | Bookeye OR Digital Camera |
The Epson Expression 12000XL scanner is recommended for most materials.
Note: The Bookeye only scans at a maximum resolution of 400 dpi. Use Scan2Net to scan items for digital collections. Remember to set the Bookeye to 400 dpi, TIFF, and 24 bit color.
It is important to pay attention to preservation issues while scanning. Use your best judgment. For example, when scanning from a fragile or older book, the Bookeye will be gentler on the spine than a flatbed scanner.
File names are a reflection of the collection the item was pulled from. Use the following examples:
| Collection | Standard | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| University Archives photograph collection | UA_classifcation#_item#_duplicate# |
UA_85E_7_1 UA_25V_25 |
| Public Affairs photograph collection | PA_job#_item# | PA_7501_2A |
| Public Affairs slide collection | PA_volume title and number_category or page_slide# (NOT the number on the slide) |
PA_AVproductionl_studentlife1920s_1 PA_1954-1959_p1_1 |
| Audio Visual Center photograph collection | AVC_job# | AVC_D311 |
| Spectrum Photograph Collection | SP_box#_folder#_item# | SP_4_7_038 |
| Manuscript collections | MS-#_box#_folder#_item# | MS-0082_10_2_001 |
| Institutional records | RG#_box#_folder#_item# | RG5-30-3_10_2_001 |
| Student/University publications | RG#_volume#_issue#_YYYY_page# | RG9-9-00-3_1_27_1967_p9 |
| Yearbooks | RG#_YYYY_page# | RG9-6-00-1_1898_p1 |
| Biographical file | BF_LastName-FirstName_item# | BF_Plesur-Milton_001 |
| Vertical file | VF_group#_item# | VF_I10E_001 |
For multi-page items, scan each page as an individual image and append the file name with the page number (e.g. VF_I10E_001_p1).
