ENRICH
EXPLORE
ENHANCE
YOUR ARCHIVES
DIGITISATION SERVICES
CONTENTS
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
1
WHY DIGITISE?
3
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
5
TRUSTED ADVICE
7
CONSERVATION
9
DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURE
11
LEVEL OF CARE
13
OUR CLIENTS
15
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
17
THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK
Government and for England and Wales. We are the
guardians of some of the most iconic national documents,
dating back over 1,000 years.
Our repositories are filled with priceless treasures: our nation’s story can be read
through the documents and artefacts we hold. From the Domesday Book to modern
government papers and digital files, our collection includes paper and parchment,
electronic records and websites, photographs, posters, maps, drawings and paintings.
PRESERVING
INFORMATION
FOR THE FUTURE
Our 21st century role is to collect and
secure the future of the record, both
digital and physical, to preserve it for
generations to come, and to make it
as accessible and available as possible.
We serve millions of customers every
year, both in person at Kew and online,
making us one of the largest and most
successful archives in the world.
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WHY DIGITISE?
More and more businesses are adding value to their
collections through developing digitisation initiatives.
Every organisation has different priorities but the
benefits of digitisation include:
ACCESS
GENERATING INCOME
The information in documents can be
published in a number of ways and
made available to global audiences,
so that access is no longer restricted
to those able to visit the physical
location, saving both time and travel
costs. There is also the ability to access
existing resources which have been
previously limited by their format,
such as large maps and materials
stored on microfilm.
Many documents contain information
that can have a commercial value
when presented to the right audiences.
Digitisation unlocks this potential to
create new income streams.
BRAND
Opening up your archives can
benefit your brand by inspiring new
audiences and raising the profile of the
institution. Many modern brands are
rediscovering the value of their
‘brand heritage’.
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SEARCHABILITY
Capturing the right descriptive data
from a digitised document makes
finding relevant content much
easier, and helps maximise research
efficiency. This also supports more
innovative methods of research.
PRESERVATION
Following digitisation, physical
documents will not need to be
accessed as often, therefore reducing
potential damage caused by handling.
INTERACTION
Digitised content is versatile and
can be used to communicate with
customers across a range of channels.
It is a particularly strong tool for
social media, opening dialogue with
customers and encouraging activity
such as crowdsourcing and blogging.
INTEGRATION
Records can be integrated with digital
systems and made readily discoverable
within digital catalogues.
DISASTER RECOVERY
Paper records are vulnerable to many
risks. If a site disaster leads to loss of
analogue formats, digital copies can
ensure information remains retrievable.
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HOW WE
CAN HELP YOU
At the National Archives, we have been imaging our
own vast collection of records since the 1960s, initially
producing microfilm. We began the shift to digital outputs
over ten years ago, and now digitise around 8 million
pages of archival material per year.
YOUR DIGITISATION PROJECT
We are increasingly using our expertise to help other archives, businesses and private
organisations develop and modernise their own collections. We understand the
complexities of the process, and can help you articulate your requirements and turn
them into a successful project.
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OUR DIGITISATION
SERVICES TEAM
We have built up significant
experience and a highly qualified team
of digitisation experts. Although we
continue to digitise our own material,
we also have capacity to undertake
digitisation projects for other
organisations and are able to offer
a professional service using our
own resources.
NO DIGITISATION
PROJECT IS TOO BIG
OR TOO SMALL
Whatever the size of your archive, and
whatever the aims of your digitisation
programme, our digitisation services
team can help. We appreciate that
each archive and collection is unique
and our team will work with you to
develop a bespoke service to meet your
specific requirements, incorporating
any or all of the services we offer.
OUR DIGITISATION
SERVICES INCLUDE:
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Free on-site consultation
and advice
Conservation services and
expert document preparation
Digitisation of original
documents and microfilm
Secure storage of material
Creation of different file types
to suit your records (TIFF, JPEG,
JPEG2000, PDF)
Metadata creation
Optical Character Recognition
(OCR) and transcription
Advice on preservation and
data storage solutions
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TRUSTED
ADVICE
The first stage of a digitisation project is
to define the business requirements, as
these guide everything that follows. We
can provide advice and guidance to help
you do this, creating a solution that meets
your long-term strategic needs.
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PROJECT ESTIMATION
The estimation team work to understand exactly how much
digitisation is required. An accurate estimation is achieved by:
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A physical page count of each document
An overview of project specifications; image file format
and resolution
Learning about any requirements for Optical Character
Recognition (OCR) or transcription
Consideration of transportation of the documents
from and to the client’s premises
The key to a successful digitisation project is to fully
understand the material and the requirements of the
organisation. We take time and effort to get to grips with this,
and produce estimates that are based on physical evidence
and the results of detailed analysis. Through our years of
experience, we recognise that there is no such thing as a
safe assumption; putting the effort in to scope out a project
accurately invariably leads to a smooth process.
We will work with you to understand your needs in order
to produce a robust plan that can be delivered on time
and to budget. To begin this process, please email us at:
digitisation@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
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CONSERVATION
Records and documents in archive collections are
often delicate and fragile. Due to the physical nature
of digitisation, there is a risk that if not managed
appropriately, document condition could worsen.
THE TEAM
Managed by a professionally accredited conservation manager, our specialist
team of qualified paper and book conservators are skilled in stabilising and
conserving records. They can lend the techniques they use in conserving our
collection to the preparation of your records for digitisation. The team has
responsibility for all conservation elements of digitisation projects, ensuring
that preservation of the documents is maintained throughout the process.
BENEFITS OF
CONSERVATION IN A
DIGITISATION PROJECT:
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Protects and stabilises
documents, allowing them
to be digitised
Allows more efficient image
capture as documents are
more robust
Reveals text that has previously
been illegible due to damage/
folds/dirt
Achieves optimum image
quality
Reduces reputational risk to
the organisation
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DIGITAL IMAGE
CAPTURE
Our thorough knowledge of the digitisation process,
equipment and capture techniques ensure we fulfil the
specified requirements, matching the expectations of your
project plan. The team will ensure that image capture is
completed to the requested technical standard, and that
all images are processed correctly and to the high degree
of accuracy you would expect from The National Archives.
THE STUDIO
Our digitisation studio is located
on-site at Kew. We have the
equipment, dedicated facilities and
specialist staff to offer a range of
services. We specialise in capturing
high volumes of digital images from
large collections, and with our state
of the art equipment we can digitise a
wide range of materials.
We can output images in a variety
of formats, and onto many types of
media to suit individual requirements.
At each stage in the digitisation
process we provide stringent quality
assurance, checking that images meet
the required standards.
WE NOW DIGITISE
AROUND 8 MILLION
PAGES OF ARCHIVAL
MATERIAL PER YEAR
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WE DIGITISE A RANGE
OF FORMATS
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Bound volumes
Manuscripts
Rolls and parchments
Newspapers
Maps, plans and technical
drawings
Photographs
Blueprints
Oversized material (A0+)
Negatives and glass plates
Transparencies
Microfilm
We also have the capability in
our studio to digitise large-scale
documents, such as maps, on our
large format equipment.
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LEVEL OF CARE
We understand that fragile and precious records
require a high level of care and it is important that
they are returned to you in the same condition.
SAFE HANDLING
AND STORAGE
We use specialist book rests, cradles
and weights to prevent the risk of any
damage to original items. All records
are stored and copied in a secure
environment by operators with many
years of experience, using digitisation
equipment approved by our expert
conservators to minimise the risk of
document damage.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
We believe that quality assurance is a
crucial stage in the digitisation process.
It enables us to deliver projects with
the confidence that the images have
been precisely captured, thoroughly
checked, and are the best possible
surrogate of the original material.
Following imaging, our dedicated
team of quality assurance technicians
perform 100% checks against the
original material.
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IMAGES ARE
CHECKED FOR:
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Legibility
Material completion
File size
Image position
Numbering
Folder structure
Naming
Metadata accuracy
Missing or duplicate images
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
We go beyond simple image capture
to offer services for archive cataloguing
and metadata preparation. Metadata
can range from basic information, such
as the date of digitisation and image
number, to complex embedded content.
The ability to translate data and
information from a digital document
into searchable text transforms the
onward use of the record.
We can recommend and deliver the
best possible solution depending
on the nature of the original material.
We work with a network of trusted
partners to offer manual transcription,
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
and various redaction services,
as appropriate.
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OUR
CLIENTS
We have worked with a
variety of organisations,
helping to preserve a
number of culturally
significant heritage
collections in the UK.
“We wanted to digitise 15 volumes of First World War Rolls
of Honour, as part of the Cathedral’s plans to commemorate
the centenary of the beginning of the First World War. We
chose to work with The National Archives’ digitisation services
team because we were impressed by their on-site facilities
and professional, committed approach to ensuring that the
volumes would be held securely, and handled appropriately
according to their fragile nature.
In the beginning stages of discussion, the team visited us onsite to survey the overall condition of the volumes and advise
the best handling methods. They also offered to undertake
conservation work on the volumes. We were then invited to
visit the digitisation and conservation studios, and shown
the equipment that would be used to digitise the volumes.
Everyone we spoke to within the digitisation services team
were extremely accommodating, allowing us to retrieve
some of the volumes as and when we needed to. The volumes
were digitised quickly and within the promised time frame. I
would recommend The National Archives’ digitisation services
to other archives, particularly those with material of a very
fragile nature.”
Sarah Radford, Archivist, St Paul’s Cathedral
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Black Cultural Archives
British Academy
BT
Coventry University
Marylebone Cricket Club
National Army Museum
St Paul’s Cathedral
The National Gallery
The Stationers’ Company
“We had plans in place to digitise some of our treasured book
collections (1902-1929), for preservation purposes. As a newly
qualified, lone archivist undertaking my first ever digitisation
project, I sought the support of a trusted service, with expertise
in the archive sector. Following a one day course at The
National Archives, I contacted their digitisation services team
who quickly came to visit me on-site, talking me through the
whole process. Everything was thoroughly discussed, so that
I understood the technical, naming and conservation aspects
of the project. I felt confident that the team would handle our
material responsibly, and reassured that I would be able to
manage the images once the material had been digitised.
I found the digitisation services team to be extremely
professional in their approach but also very friendly, patient
and reassuring in the delivery. I was very pleased with the
outcome and enjoyed working with them. I learnt a lot
and really appreciated the support and guidance I received
throughout the whole process. I would have no hesitation in
recommending The National Archives’ digitisation services to
others in the field.”
Karen Syrett, Archivist/Librarian/Curator,
The British Academy
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WANT TO
KNOW MORE?
If you have any questions about the services we can
provide or would like to discuss your requirements,
please email digitisation@nationalarchives.gov.uk
or call +44 (0)20 8876 3444 ext 2416. We will be
happy to provide general guidance and obligation-free
quotations upon request.
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The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444 ext 2416
Facebook: facebook.com/thenationalarchives
Twitter: @uknatarchives
Email: digitisation@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Website: nationalarchives.gov.uk/digitisation
© Crown copyright 2015
You may re-use this document/publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this
licence visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence; or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey,
TW9 4DU; or email:psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
Any enquiries regarding this document/publication should be sent to us at digitisation@nationalarchives.gov.uk
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