All materials accepted in the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook may be scanned at the Ohio Historical Center. However, institutions may submit digital images scanned elsewhere if certain technical specifications, outlined below, are met. These guidelines also include some general scanning suggestions.

The general philosophy of this project is that we are scanning historical images. The digital version should not appear significantly different than the actual document.

• Frequently historical images have imperfections such as tears or holes, which should not be altered or fixed.
• Do not crop the image to cut out parts of the image. You might not include the frame or edge of the image, but you should not substantially alter the image.
• Dirt or specks can be removed, as they are frequently only put into the image or emphasized by the scanning process.

These specifications are taken from the OhioLINK Digital Media Center’s "Scanning Standards and Guidelines," http://www.ohiolink.edu/media/dmcinfo/metadata.html. All scanning done for the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook must meet these minimum requirements, although exceptions may be made in specific cases. Please contact Ohio Memory staff if you have any questions.

Images should be Tagged Image File Format Version 5 or 6 (TIFF 5 or 6). Bitonal (black and white) TIFF images can be compressed using ITU Group IV compression. Grayscale and color images can be compressed using LZW compression.

The chart above lists minimum scanning standards. In some cases it may be necessary and desirable to scan at higher resolutions. Documents that might require scanning at a higher resolution include those:

• with very small characters or fine print
• that are rare and/or fragile, such as a one-of-a-kind brittle manuscript

Derivative images are commonly used for general web access instead of high-resolution images. Examples include small "thumbnail" images, which might be only 100 pixels square, and "reference" or "service" images, which should fit completely within an average monitor. Images created for this purpose commonly are smaller in size and load quickly, even without a fast network connection. They are generally saved in a web-viewable format such as JPEG or GIF.

The Ohio Memory online scrapbook will include both derivative and high-resolution image files. Derivative images will be likely the most heavily used. OhioLINK, which will store image files for the scrapbook, has software that automatically generates both thumbnail and service images.

There are subjective decisions that may influence how materials should be digitized. For instance, a black-and-white typed document may contain annotations in pencil or red ink. Though bitonal scanning is normally sufficient for typed documents, color scanning may be preferred in this case.

Scanners operate best when used around a consistent, fairly dim light source.

Scanning at higher resolutions does not necessarily afford additional benefits. While the difference between 72 dpi and 600 dpi may be obvious, the same may not be true when increasing from 600 dpi to 1200 dpi. A representative subset of any collection should be digitized prior to production to determine whether these guidelines provide acceptable results for intended uses, such as viewing with monitors or printing.

Different scanners will produce different results, as will different commercial scanning vendors. Quality control throughout a scanning project is vital.

Fragile, rare and delicate historical materials are being scanned in this project. Nothing should damage or jeopardize the materials during the digitization process. Project staff designed the following rules with this concern in mind. Please follow them to ensure the longevity of materials.

• Historical materials should be stored in a safe area, out of direct light. Once they are to be scanned, remove items from protected area. When leaving the scanner and materials for any length of time, be sure to place materials out of harm’s way (i.e. on cart, in folders, etc.).
• Absolutely no food or drink should be consumed near the scanners or the materials.
• Absolutely no pens should be used near materials. Use pencils only.
• White gloves should be used whenever handling materials.

If you have any questions, please contact Ohio Memory Project staff at ohiomemory@ohiohistory.org or (614) 297-2589.