The Libraries’ department of Digital Initiatives and Resource Discovery supports the digitization of materials for the purpose of scholarship and research. Our main focus is to digitize the unique collections of Binghamton University Libraries, but we also partner with other departments on campus to digitize materials in support of research projects, digital scholarship projects and exhibits. Please see About Digital Collections for additional information regarding our criteria for digitization projects.
The department supports the digitization of print (bound volumes and loose sheets), photographs, maps, LPs, CDs and video. Using an array of hardware and software, we scan physical materials, generate digital objects, create and attach metadata to those objects, and preserve them into our digital preservation system, Rosetta. We make these objects discoverable via the Libraries’ online catalogue, Find It!, and through our digital management system, Omeka. Several collections have also been added to New York Heritage.
Our equipment includes:
- VHS converter
- LP (vinyl records) converter
- Flatbed scanning (up to 12” x 17” in size)
- Feed scanning
The Libraries digitize materials according to the recommendations and best practices established by cultural heritage institutions. These include FADGI’s Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials, New York State's Digital Imaging Guidelines and Wisconsin History Digitization Guidelines.
Proposing a Digitization Project
Would you like to propose a digitization project? Digital Initiatives solicits digitization proposals from the campus. Please use the Digital Collections Project Request Form to propose an idea for a digitization project.
