Libraries need comprehensive document digitization strategies
One of the many purposes a library serves, at a fundamental level, is preserving local history. These institutions have long taken to putting local newspapers and other documents on microfilm so they could be accessed years down the line by anyone with a curiosity about past events.
But with the digital revolution now firmly underway for municipalities of all sizes, it's vital for libraries to have cohesive plans for how they will approach microfilm conversion and other types of document digitization going forward.
For most cities and towns, these efforts will be relatively small in scale. However, it is no less important that they approach them the right way. For instance, the Commerce Public Library in Commerce, Texas, recently digitized its collection of more than a century's worth of the local newspapers, according to the Commerce Journal. That included 194 complete reels of microfilm, which is now fully digitized and available online for free.
What this means for locals
The digitization project, which was paid for with a grant of more than $22,000, digitized every page of every newspaper from 1901 to 2015, making them into printable PDFs that are fully searchable by keyword, the report said. The library hopes to archive 2016 and 2017 issues of the Journal similarly in the near future. The project was spurred by older technology holding back ease of use for modern needs.
"The microfilm reader we have is very old, and there is no way to print," Clay said. "This is so much more convenient."
Coming up with a plan
When making a plan to digitize documents of any type, libraries should begin by crafting a clear strategy and organizational approach, according to the University Libraries at the University of Minnesota. Taking steps to ensure people will have access to data on-demand – meaning that any archived information is easily searchable – will often be a good idea, and it's also wise to have redundancies in place to make sure any documentation is preserved in multiple locations.
Generally speaking, while these projects can be somewhat costly, they may prove invaluable for local communities in the long term. It is therefore incumbent upon libraries to ensure the transition to digitizing potentially centuries-old documents can be handled appropriately.
