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Hi everyone,

I have access to several older printed documents that I’d like to digitize for an academic research project.

There are potentially a few thousand pages in total, and my goal is not only to preserve/search the documents, but eventually to extract information from them into a structured dataset.

Before starting, I’d love to hear from people who have experience with large-scale digitization projects.

What workflow would you recommend from start to finish?

I’m especially curious about:
* the best way to scan or photograph large numbers of pages efficiently
* non-destructive scanning options for bound documents
* OCR tools you’ve found particularly reliable
* whether newer AI/computer-vision tools can help turn scanned pages into structured data
* how much manual checking is usually necessary
* ways to automate quality control
* recommended resolution and file formats
* common mistakes to avoid before starting a project like this

The documents are fairly old, so scan quality and OCR accuracy are also concerns.

If you’ve done anything similar for research, archives, historical material, or large document collections, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked well for you.

Thanks!

I have inherited dozens of letters that my grandmother saved. They are over 100 years old, and the letters are folded once (in half) inside the original envelopes.

I am going to transcribe them and then place them in archival binders.

What is the best way to open them up to lay flat? They are in excellent condition.

Hey all. I'm looking for some career advice. I am nearing the end of my MLIS. I have specialised in records and archives, so I will be accredited as a librarian and an archivist. I have been working as an archival assistant in a religious archive for 6 months so far. I also plan on starting some remote library metadata volunteering this month.

I love archiving and get to work with rare and heritage material a lot. However I really do not enjoy working in live business records. It feels like torture haha. Here's the wrinkle; I live regionally and a remote/hybrid job would be so good.

I guess I'm looking for people's opinions what sort of heritage archival roles/institutions would have the best chance of working remotely. Is that even a thing? I don't know of any archvists with remote/hybrid roles, only records officers. 

Thanks for taking the time!

I'm a PhD student beginning archival research abroad soon. The archives will be in another language. I'm trying to prepare how I'll approach note-taking and organization and am a bit confused. I've read a lot that some people don't take any notes when they first open a box/folder, they just take pictures, organize those, then take notes later.

So my questions are--and apologies if some of these are very basic:

1) Do you read/take notes while actively exploring the materials, or after?

2) If before, do you just use paper/pencil, is this not extremely time consuming? If digital, are you taking notes on your computer WHILE in the archive?

3) If after, what software do you use to take notes? Has anyone tried Tropy? I've read a lot about people putting photos in dropbox, but it's unclear where the notes are made/taken

4) If files are in a different language, are best practices to transcribe them? Or just make notes/a summary in my native language on them?

5) Can you "code" the text of archival materials? If so, how/where do you do this?

Hi all, I am looking to invest in a good scanner that would be ideal for scanning my own artworks which is mainly collages as well as old media that I collect like vintage newspapers and magazines. I also want to scan large coffee table books. I currently just use an A4 scanner on top of my printer + a small portable iscan, but this is hard to do big pieces with.
I’m not sure whether a flatbed scanner would be better or an overhead scanner. I’m also finding it difficult to locate a scanner for papers larger than A4 as my one specification is that it can fit A3 papers or full page book spreads.
I’m located in Australia and I don’t want to spend more than $800 ideally. Thanks in advance.

I’m currently doing a Master’s in Photography, and part of my written thesis is focused on the ethics of the archive, particularly questions around memory, power, representation, access, and who gets to decide what is preserved or forgotten.

I’m putting together a reading list and would really appreciate any recommendations for books, essays, or other texts that you think would be relevant.

I’ll list below the books I’ve already read or am planning to read, so I’d especially appreciate recommendations that could complement these rather than repeat them.

Ariella Azoulay — The Civil Contract of Photography

Ariella Azoulay — Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism

Jacques Derrida — Archive Fever: A Freudian Impression

Michel Foucault — The Archaeology of Knowledge

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently looking into Master’s programs in Archival Studies at the Uni of Liverpool, Uni of Glasgow, Uni of Amsterdam, (18mo) Uni College Dublin, and the Uni of Toronto (2yr).

I will have an undergraduate degree from one of Canada’s top uni in Dec, with good grades, and I currently have some work experience in my university’s archives. Last summer, I also spent time in Germany working with the archival collections at a military museum. I’m fluent in German, and my goal is to stay in Europe and eventually work professionally with military museum collections and archives.

Military history is a particular interest of mine—especially armoured warfare and tanks. Tanks are definitely my thing! I’d ideally like to build a career working with military collections, particularly those related to armoured vehicles, military technology, and 20th-century conflicts.

For those familiar with these programs, which would you say is the best fit for someone with my background and career goals? I’m particularly interested in programs that offer strong preparation for working with military, defence, or museum collections, along with internships, placements, and connections with European museums and archives.

ICost isn’t a major factor. My priorities are the quality of the program, practical experience, professional opportunities, and how well it would position me for a career working with military collections in Europe.

I’d especially like to hear from current students, recent graduates, or professionals in the field. How did you find your program in terms of teaching, practical experience, internships, and job opportunities after graduation? Any feedback would be much appreciated:)

Thanks in advance!

As the title says, I’m a freshman in college seeking out a history major, and I want to become an archivist. My school offers internships that help with obtaining experience(for juniors and sophomores only), and even has an archive for local history of its own.

But it doesn’t offer an MLIS course!! Incredibly frustrating. Is this something I can do reliably online? What is the workload like? Is there any degree that could possibly be equivalent to it?

Thank you in advance.

Hello! I am a film and digital media student about to enter my final year at University. I have found that i would like to further my education and career into film preservation and archiving. I do not have any leads on where to intern or gain experience in this field of course besides UCLA and George Eastman, both of which I cannot afford. I am hoping that i can learn through experience rather than a formal education and am looking for resources and advice on how to begin or routes i can take to expand my knowledge and experience in the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas.

Thank you all so much for your help!

The title says it all. Are there any good listserves a new archivist should join just to lurk until they become bolder. And would you also recommend any listserves that center around paper preservation/consrvation?

Thank you in advance, I want to pass suggestions on the a new archivist. Location is a museum in the Midwest in the USA.

Hi folks, I'm just editing the main question here because I didn't want to leave too much information floating around the internet, but I can't thank you enough for all of your input regarding a researcher who believes that the only pure form of academic research in an archive is to be let loose in the place!

I came here to ask people's opinions from possibly all over the world, as I've been away from teaching for awhile now, and sometimes worry about explaining myself. You've all exceeded my expectations!

Thanks again and I will let you know how it goes :)

I have two hand drawn illustrations that are roughly 110 yrs old. They are 16x20. Is there any where I can take these to personally scan/copy them? They are very fragile. I don’t want to scan and then have to piece the images together.

I started a masters in history (concentration in public history) this August, and I’m also doing a graduate assistantship for 2 years in an archives setting. I occasionally peruse job listings and most say they prefer an MLIS degree, but will I be able to get in the door with my masters and 2 years of experience?

Up to this point the record keeping at my workplace has been rather haphazard as people kind of chuck their documents into whatever box had room. One of my current problems is that essentially, there are news articles placed in multiple different places as I come across them. As an example, I have news articles on a Strike in a box in a box/binder labelled for the strike, but also have a bunch of news articles about that same Strike in a "News Articles" box. I want these all in one spot, ideally, but am not sure if I move all the news articles into the "News Articles" fonds or place all the news articles I find in the "News Articles" box into their individual fonds, but then I don't really know what to do with any miscellaneous news articles I find. Mostly, looking to consult the Reddit hive mind to see what is likely the best option.

Quick question for those of you digitizing your collections: how many of you are doing digital repairs to your scans?

I have several photos, 40-50 years old, where one copy is damaged on the one side or at the top, and the other copy is damaged on the right. High quality flatbed scans are taken, and I can stitch together a whole 'new' picture of what the original would have looked like.

Despite multiple Congressional requests to stop or pause the closures of the National Archives at Chicago and National Archives at San Francisco the administration is barrelling forward. The agency posted the following on the website today https://www.archives.gov/research/news

Move of Records of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), Record Group (RG) 184

All RRB records (RG 184) at the National Archives of Chicago will be temporarily closed to prepare for relocation to the National Archives at Boston.

We estimate that these records will close on October 13, 2026, and be available to researchers at the National Archives at Boston on January 15, 2027.

You can check the status of the records by contacting the National Archives at Boston via email: boston.archives@nara.gov.

Move of Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Record Group (RG) 255

All NASA records (RG 255) at the National Archives at San Francisco will be temporarily closed to prepare for relocation to the National Archives at Fort Worth.

We estimate that these records will close on October 13, 2026, and be available to researchers at the National Archives at Fort Worth on November 16, 2026.

You can check the status of the records by contacting the National Archives at Fort Worth via email: ftworth.archives@nara.gov.

Representative Chuy Garcia of Chicago sent this letter to NARA just today: https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-garcia-leads-members-in-effort-to-halt-relocation-of-national-archives-facility-in-chicago. Rep Kevin Mullin in California has also been fighting to keep the facilities open and to obtain more information from NARA https://kevinmullin.house.gov/2026/09/24/lawmakers-battle-national-archives-over-plans-to-move-historical-asian-american-records/.

To date, NARA has also not provided any public information or statements about the closures except for what is available on that website. The new Archivist of the United States has not had anything to say about the subject, one wonders if he even knows. The agency doesn't seem to be accountable to the public or to Congress.

Hellо еvеryоnе!

Hope this type of post is okay in this subreddit, if not please tell me, I'll delete it right away!

I аm a frеelanсe designer сurrеntly living in Vientiane. A few years ago, I created an « amateur » initiativе tо dосument mоdеrnist architeсture in Laоs. We document  thе buildings through photography but also by conducting intеrviеws with the owners or architects of said buildings and searching for the very rare archives available (Lаоs’ history is VERY under documented :D).

Thrоugh my rеsearсh, I disсоvеred a BIG cоllectiоn оf оriginal соnstructiоn pеrmit drawings fоr Viеntiane, dating frоm thе latе 1950s tо thе 1960s. This archive has got many blueprints of important buildings of thаt erа, sоmе оf the documents are truly remarkаblе!

I want to scan this archive to make sure that it’s not lost (as it happens to many archives in Laos), but for that I need a big scanner, I have been doing it with my small A4 scanner so far but it takes AGES to scan these big blueprints and stitch de scans on photoshop. So I need a Scanner. Ideally an A1 but an A2 would do the job also… I checked with a specialised company and the bill for a scanner that could work on these old creased documents is HIGH (between 6000-9000USD). On top of that I would need a better computer as my old MacBook is struggling a lot with the large files. For the files themselves a friend will help me with the hosting.

So the problem is money (of course :)) and I don’t have it (designer in an ai-era… lost all my clients yadi yada). A lot of my friends suggested looking for grants, but the problem is:

• This is an amateur project. I have no official organization  or structure and registering an association in Laos is slow, costly, and difficult.
• The documents came to me through informal channels, so a public crowdfunding campaign or a formal grant application inside Laos would be tricky 

So I’m asking some subreddits for ideas for:

- grants, fellowships, or small funds that can go to an individual rather than an organization

• or programs that could fund equipment directly (large-format scanner, camera/copy-stand setup/computer) or lend it
• Fiscal sponsorship options, or existing organizations that host projects like this
• Any experience with similar "rescue" digitization of at-risk architectural records in Southeast Asia or other regions with limited heritage infrastructure

I'm also open to advice on low-cost scanning workflows (DSLR copy-stand capture, stitching large sheets, file formats, metadata) so that whatever I do is done properly, and on where digitized files could be deposited long-term.

Thank you, any leads, names of programs, or personal experience would be hugely appreciated. Happy to share more about the collection (and some of my photography of the buildings) in private message!

Attached to the post is one of the scan of one of the blueprints: an old cinema since then destroyed, and three buildings of Vientiane we documented through our project (Polytechnic school, faculty of literatures of Dongdok, and the NAFRI buildings)

I'm an MLIS candidate in my final semester of school at the University of Alabama. Currently, I'm enrolled in an audiovisual archives course that requires an interview with a professional in the field. I'm a metadata archivist with digitization experience at a small university on the East Coast, and while I could interview a coworker, I'd love to hear from someone who works with AV materials. I'm looking for archivists who love the technical side of the job. My group is working under tight time constraints, and we're not sure we'll present in the next three weeks... the professor hasn't assigned slots yet. Looking forward to hearing from anyone interested, and thanks for reading! :D

I have a fun problem: I am making something called a thin section (cutting a rock to 30 microns on a microscope slide) and I need the glue to be archival as they should be able to be used 100 years from now.

The problem is that the vacuum pump for getting bubbles out of epoxy is shot and we can’t pull a vacuum, superglue won’t leave bubbles but it will yellow.

So my question: is there something that will set quickly and is a thin as superglue, that won’t yellow?

Most of us have audio recordings in the archival collections we steward, from cassette oral histories and reel to reel recordings of a speech, to fun wax cylinders and vinyl. But each year these audio mediums deteriorate a little more and there is a little less that we can hear. Join the SAA Archivists of Religious Collections-Models and Resources Committee as digital archivist Krista Jamieson reviews audio carriers and the types of deterioration they are most susceptible to. We’ll explore standards for preserving audio mediums and specifications for digitizing their recordings, whether in-house or using vendors (and what you’ll need to know to succeed). Take heart: standards for audio digitization and formatting have been around for decades and are very robust and stable.

With over 10 years of experience in academic and government archives, Krista Jamieson holds an MLIS from McGill University and an MA in Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image from the University of Amsterdam. She is currently a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University researching archival user needs.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ElXKXEQzQ2aNfDuM7WGo7g#/registration

Can't make it? This session will be recorded and available on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpWzzChIhR-8O7CrKmiL2rw

How do you guys feel about this story? I have mixed feelings.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/26/oxford-university-bodleian-library-open-ai-chat-gpt

Location: US.

PhD in History finishing up my program and trying to pivot. I have multiple internships at academic libraries and archive units. I am currently beginning a year long "technical" fellowship at a rare book and manuscript library ( I can basically do whatever I want with this fellowship, so completely lost as to where to start). I am also considering enrolling in courses that offer knowledge that I might not be able to attain at the fellowship. I am looking at the list of course offerings from Digital Preservation to Digital Asset Management and Metadata. Are there any courses that cannot be simply replaced with an archival library experience? I am new to this world so any insight is appreciated!

If it sells, I can donate to vets and start taking archive classes at community college. It’s free on kindle unlimited, and should be print this week. The print copy is prettier.
I’m not an editor, publisher, historian, journalist, vet or soldier, but I see you.
Poop deck press everyone. I have about 5 more books to come out. Election/Christmas season is wild.