Editing Digitization

{{Short description|Converting information into digital form}}
{{redirect|Digitizer}}
{{about||transforming business and education|Digital transformation|the shift from mechanical and analog electronic technology to digital electronics technology|Digital Revolution}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}

[[File:Internet Archive book scanner 1.jpg|thumb|[[Internet Archive]] book [[image scanner|scanner]]]]

'''Digitization'''<ref name="wi2">{{Cite web |title=What is digitization? |url=https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digitization |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=WhatIs.com |language=en}}</ref> is the process of converting information into a [[Digital data|digital]] (i.e. computer-readable) format.<ref name="collins2">Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Definition of 'digitize'. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/digitize</ref> The result is the representation of an object, [[image]], [[sound]], [[document]], or [[Signal (electrical engineering)|signal]] (usually an [[analog signal]]) obtained by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of points or [[Sample (signal)|samples]].<ref name="abc">{{cite journal |last1=Mirzagayeva |first1=Shamiya |last2=Aslanov |first2=Heydar |date=2022-12-15 |title=The digitalization process: what has it led to, and what can we expect in the future? |url=https://metafizikajurnali.az/storage/images/site/files/Metafizika-20/Metafizika.Vol.5%2CNo.4%2CSerial.20%2Cpp.10-21.pdf |journal=[[Metafizika (journal)|Metafizika]] |language=en |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=10–21 |issn=2616-6879 |eissn=2617-751X |oclc=1117709579 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112173332/https://metafizikajurnali.az/storage/images/site/files/Metafizika-20/Metafizika.Vol.5,No.4,Serial.20,pp.10-21.pdf |archive-date=2022-11-12 |access-date=2022-10-14}}</ref> The result is called ''[[Digital data|digital]] [[Group representation|representation]]'' or, more specifically, a ''[[digital image]]'', for the object, and ''digital form'', for the signal. In modern practice, the digitized data is in the form of [[binary number]]s, which facilitates processing by [[digital computer]]s and other operations, but digitizing simply means "the conversion of analog source material into a numerical format"; the [[decimal]] or any other [[number system]] can be used instead.<ref name="Bloomberg">{{Cite web |last=Bloomberg |first=Jason |title=Digitization, Digitalization, And Digital Transformation: Confuse Them At Your Peril |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/2018/04/29/digitization-digitalization-and-digital-transformation-confuse-them-at-your-peril/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

Digitization is of crucial importance to data processing, storage, and transmission, because it "allows information of all kinds in all formats to be carried with the same efficiency and also intermingled."<ref>McQuail, D. (2000). ''McQuail's mass communication theory'' (4th edition). Sage.</ref> Though analog data is typically more stable, digital data has the potential to be more easily shared and accessed and, in theory, can be propagated indefinitely without generation loss, provided it is [[Digital preservation|migrated to new, stable formats as needed]].<ref name=":192">Brown, A. (2013). ''Practical digital preservation: A how-to guide for organizations of any size''. Neal Schuman.</ref> This potential has led to institutional digitization projects designed to improve access and the rapid growth of the digital preservation field.<ref name=":122">{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/01930826.2012.684504 | title=The Digital Transformation of Special Collections | year=2012 | last1=Daigle | first1=Bradley J. | journal=Journal of Library Administration | volume=52 | issue=3–4 | pages=244–264 | s2cid=56527894 }}</ref>

Sometimes digitization and digital preservation are mistaken for the same thing. They are different, but digitization is often a vital first step in digital preservation.<ref name=":132">{{Cite web |last=LeFurgy |first=Bill |date=2011-07-15 |title=Digitization is Different than Digital Preservation: Help Prevent Digital Orphans! {{!}} The Signal |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2011/07/digitization-is-different-than-digital-preservation-help-prevent-digital-orphans/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=The Library of Congress}}</ref> Libraries, archives, museums, and other memory institutions digitize items to preserve fragile materials and create more access points for patrons.<ref name=":04">{{cite journal | doi=10.1108/CB-01-2015-0001 | title=The hidden cost of digitization – things to consider | year=2015 | last1=Riley-Reid | first1=Trevar D. | journal=Collection Building | volume=34 | issue=3 | pages=89–93 }}</ref> Doing this creates challenges for information professionals and solutions can be as varied as the institutions that implement them.<ref name=":202">{{Cite web |title=Collaboration between libraries, archives and museums (LAMS) in the digitisation of information in South Africa |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=3phltK0AAAAJ&citation_for_view=3phltK0AAAAJ:d1gkVwhDpl0C |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=scholar.google.com}}</ref> Some analog materials, such as audio and video tapes, are nearing the end of their life cycle, and it is important to digitize them before equipment obsolescence and media deterioration makes the data irretrievable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moving pictures and sound - Digital Preservation Handbook |url=https://www.dpconline.org/handbook/moving-pictures-and-sound?Itemid=501 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=www.dpconline.org |language=en-gb}}</ref>

There are challenges and implications surrounding digitization including time, cost, cultural history concerns, and creating an equitable platform for historically marginalized voices.<ref name=":822">{{Cite journal |last=Hughes-Watkins |first=Lae'l |date=2018-05-16 |title=Moving Toward a Reparative Archive: A Roadmap for a Holistic Approach to Disrupting Homogenous Histories in Academic Repositories and Creating Inclusive Spaces for Marginalized Voices |url=https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol5/iss1/6 |journal=Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies |volume=5 |issue=1 |issn=2380-8845}}</ref> Many digitizing institutions develop their own solutions to these challenges.<ref name=":04"/>

Mass digitization projects have had mixed results over the years, but some institutions have had success even if not in the traditional Google Books model.<ref name=":922">Verheusen, A. (2008). Mass digitization by libraries: Issues concerning organisation, quality and efficiency. ''LIBER Quarterly'', 18(1), 28-38.</ref> Although e-books have undermined the sales of their printed counterparts, a study from 2017 indicated that the two cater to different audiences and use-cases.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Yoo |first1=Dong Kyoon |last2=Roh |first2=James Jungbae |date=2019-03-04 |title=Adoption of e-Books: A Digital Textbook Perspective |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08874417.2017.1318688 |journal=Journal of Computer Information Systems |language=en |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=136–145 |doi=10.1080/08874417.2017.1318688 |issn=0887-4417|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In a study of over 1400 university students it was found that physical literature is more apt for intense studies while e-books provide a superior experience for leisurely reading.<ref name=":1" />

Technological changes can happen often and quickly, so digitization standards are difficult to keep updated. Professionals in the field can attend conferences and join organizations and working groups to keep their knowledge current and add to the conversation.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |title=Session 7: Reformatting and Digitization |url=https://www.nedcc.org/preservation101/session-7/7digitization |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Northeast Document Conservation Center |language=en}}</ref>

== Process ==

The term digitization is often used when diverse forms of information, such as an object, text, sound, image, or voice, are converted into a single [[binary code]]. The core of the process is the compromise between the capturing device and the player device so that the rendered result represents the original source with the most possible fidelity, and the advantage of digitization is the speed and accuracy in which this form of information can be transmitted with no degradation compared with analog information.

Digital information exists as one of two digits, either 0 or 1. These are known as [[bit]]s (a contraction of ''binary digits'') and the sequences of 0s and 1s that constitute information are called [[byte]]s.<ref>Flew, Terry. 2008. New Media An Introduction. South Melbourne. 3rd Edition. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.</ref>

Analog signals are [[continuum (theory)|continuously]] variable, both in the number of possible values of the signal ''at'' a given [[time]], as well as in the number of points in the signal ''in'' a given period of time. However, digital signals are [[discrete signal|discrete]] in both of those respects – generally a finite sequence of integers – therefore a digitization can, in practical terms, only ever be an [[approximation]] of the signal it represents.

Digitization occurs in two parts:
;Discretization: The reading of an analog signal ''A'', and, at regular time intervals ([[sampling frequency|frequency]]), [[sampling (signal processing)|sampling]] the value of the signal at the point. Each such reading is called a ''sample'' and may be considered to have infinite precision at this stage;
;Quantization: Samples are rounded to a fixed set of numbers (such as integers), a process known as [[Quantization (signal processing)|quantization]].
In general, these can occur at the same time, though they are conceptually distinct.

A series of digital integers can be transformed into an analog output that approximates the original analog signal. Such a transformation is called a [[digital-to-analog conversion]]. The [[sampling rate]] and the number of bits used to represent the integers combine to determine how close such an approximation to the analog signal a digitization will be.

==Examples==
[[File:Digitizing Estonian popular science magazine Horisont.jpg|thumb|Digitization of the first number of Estonian popular science magazine ''[[Horisont]]'' published in January 1967]]
The term is used to describe, for example, the [[image scanner|scanning]] of analog sources (such as printed [[photo]]s or taped [[video]]s) into computers for editing, 3D scanning that creates [[3D modeling]] of an object's surface, and [[Sound recording and reproduction|audio]] (where sampling rate is often measured in [[kilohertz]]) and [[Graphics pipeline#Modeling transformation|texture map]] transformations. In this last case, as in normal photos, the sampling rate refers to the [[Image resolution|resolution]] of the image, often measured in [[pixel]]s per inch.

Digitizing is the primary way of storing images in a form suitable for [[transmission (telecommunications)|transmission]] and [[computer]] processing, whether scanned from two-dimensional analog originals or captured using an [[image sensor]]-equipped device such as a [[digital camera]], [[tomography|tomographical]] instrument such as a [[CAT scan]]ner, or acquiring precise dimensions from a real-world object, such as a [[motor vehicle|car]], using a [[3D scanner|3D scanning]] device.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digimation {{!}} 3D Training and Simulation |url=https://digimation.com/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Digitizing is central to making digital representations of geographical features, using raster or vector images, in a [[geographic information system]], i.e., the creation of [[electronic map]]s, either from various geographical and satellite imaging (raster) or by digitizing traditional paper [[map]]s or [[Chart|graphs]] (vector).{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

"Digitization" is also used to describe the process of populating [[database]]s with files or data.  While this usage is technically inaccurate, it originates with the previously proper use of the term to describe that part of the process involving digitization of analog sources, such as printed pictures and brochures, before uploading to target databases.<ref name="abc"/>

Digitizing may also be used in the field of apparel, where an image may be recreated with the help of [[Machine embroidery#Computerized machine embroidery|embroidery digitizing]] software tools and saved as [[Machine embroidery#List of machine embroidery design file extensions|embroidery machine]] code. This machine code is fed into an embroidery machine and applied to the fabric. The most supported format is DST file. Apparel companies also digitize clothing patterns.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hedstrom|first=Margaret|date=1997-05-01|title=Digital Preservation: A Time Bomb for Digital Libraries|journal=Computers and the Humanities|volume=31|issue=3|pages=189–202|doi=10.1023/A:1000676723815|issn=1572-8412|hdl=2027.42/42573|s2cid=15327062 |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42573/1/10579_2004_Article_153071.pdf|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

== History ==

* 1957 The Standards Electronic Automatic Computer (SEAC) was invented.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=What is the History of Digitization? |url=https://kodakdigitizing.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-history-of-digitization |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Kodak Digitizing}}</ref> That same year, [[Russell Kirsch]] used a rotating drum scanner and photomultiplier connected to SEAC to create the first digital image (176x176 pixels) from a photo of his infant son.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |title=Square Pixel Inventor Tries to Smooth Things Out |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/06/smoothing-square-pixels/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Page 1 |url=https://nistdigitalarchives.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15421coll5/id/1386 |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=nistdigitalarchives.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}}</ref> This image was stored in SEAC memory via a staticizer and viewed via a cathode ray oscilloscope.<ref>Kirsch, R. A. (1988). Earliest image processing. ''IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 20''(2). https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=821701</ref><ref name=":7" />
* 1971 Invention of Charge-Coupled Devices that made conversion from analog data to a digital format easy.<ref name=":6" />
* 1986 work started on the [[JPEG]] format.<ref name=":6" />
* 1990s Libraries began scanning collections to provide access via the world wide web.<ref name=":922"/>

==Analog signals to digital==

Analog signals are continuous electrical signals; digital signals are non-continuous. Analog signals can be converted to digital signals by using an [[analog-to-digital converter]].<ref>ICT Technologies. (2004, February 3). ''Analog vs. digital signals''. Chapter 3: Module 2: Communication Systems. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved on December 15, 2021, from https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=821701</ref>

The process of converting analog to digital consists of two parts: sampling and quantizing. Sampling measures wave amplitudes at regular intervals, splits them along the vertical axis, and assigns them a numerical value, while quantizing looks for measurements that are between binary values and rounds them up or down.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How do we convert audio from analogue to digital and back? |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/how-do-we-convert-audio-from-analogue-to-digital-and-back/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=BBC Science Focus Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Nearly all recorded music has been digitized, and about 12 percent of the 500,000+ movies listed on the [[Internet Movie Database]] are digitized and were released on [[DVD]].<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.6028/jres.107.010 | title=The state of the art and practice in digital preservation | year=2002 | last1=Lee | first1=K.H. | last2=Slattery | first2=O. | last3=Lu | first3=R. | last4=Tang | first4=X. | last5=McCrary | first5=V. | journal=Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology | volume=107 | issue=1 | pages=93–106 | pmid=27446721 | pmc=4865277 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1257/jep.31.3.195 | title=How Digitization Has Created a Golden Age of Music, Movies, Books, and Television | year=2017 | last1=Waldfogel | first1=Joel | journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives | volume=31 | issue=3 | pages=195–214 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

Digitization of [[home movies]], [[Photographic slide|slides]], and [[photographs]] is a popular method of preserving and sharing personal multimedia. Slides and photographs may be scanned quickly using an [[image scanner]], but analog video requires a video tape player to be connected to a computer while the item plays in real time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Good-bye, VHS; Hello, DVD |url=https://www2.computerworld.co.nz/article/89569/good-bye_vhs_hello_dvd/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Computerworld New Zealand}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moses |first=Jeanette D. |date=2021-02-20 |title=How to digitize VHS tapes |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/digitize-vhs-tapes |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Tom's Guide |language=en}}</ref> Slides can be digitized quicker with a slide scanner such as the [[Nikon]] Coolscan 5000ED.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super COOLSCAN 5000 ED {{!}} Nikon |url=https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product-archive/film-scanners/super-coolscan-5000-ed.html |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=www.nikonusa.com |language=en}}</ref>

Another example of digitization is the [[VisualAudio]] process developed by the Swiss ''Fonoteca Nazionale'' in [[Lugano]], by scanning a high resolution photograph of a record, they are able to extract and reconstruct the sound from the processed image.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swiss National Sound Archives |url=https://www.fonoteca.ch/index_en.htm |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=www.fonoteca.ch}}</ref>

Digitization of analog tapes before they degrade, or after damage has already occurred, can rescue the only copies of local and traditional cultural music for future generations to study and enjoy.<ref name=":114">{{Cite journal |last=Breeding |first=Marshall |date=2014-11-01 |title=Ongoing Challenges in Digitization |url=https://librarytechnology.org/document/20128 |journal=Computers in Libraries |language=en |volume=34 |issue=9 |pages=16–18}}</ref><ref>Champion, N. (2013, February/March). Delivering music digitisation projects: Issues and challenges. ''Crescendo, 92'', 12-18.</ref>

==Analog texts to digital==
{{main|Book digitization}}
{{further|Text digitizing projects}}
[[File:Book scanner digitization lab university of Liège (2).jpg|alt=Image of a rare book in a book scanner where it will be digitized.|thumb|Book scanner in the digitization lab at the University of Liège, Belgium]]
Academic and public libraries, foundations, and private companies like [[Google Books|Google]] are scanning older print books and applying [[optical character recognition]] (OCR) technologies so they can be keyword searched, but as of 2006, only about 1 in 20 texts had been digitized.<ref name="abc"/><ref>Google. (2004, December 14). ''Google checks out library books'' [Press release]. http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2004/12/google-checks-out-library-books.html</ref> Librarians and archivists are working to increase this statistic and in 2019 began digitizing 480,000 books published between 1923 and 1964 that had entered the public domain.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |first4= |title=Libraries & Archivists Are Digitizing 480,000 Books Published in 20th Century That Are Secretly in the Public Domain {{!}} Open Culture |url=https://www.openculture.com/2019/09/libraries-archivists-are-digitizing-480000-books.html |access-date=2023-04-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Unpublished manuscripts and other rare papers and documents housed in special collections are being digitized by [[libraries]] and [[archives]], but backlogs often slow this process and keep materials with enduring historical and research value hidden from most users (see [[digital libraries]]).<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/0361526X.2017.1329178 | title=Improving Access and "Unhiding" the Special Collections | year=2017 | last1=Tam | first1=Marcella | journal=The Serials Librarian | volume=73 | issue=2 | pages=179–185 | s2cid=196043867 }}</ref> Digitization has not completely replaced other archival imaging options, such as  [[microfilm]]ing which is still used by institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration ([[National Archives and Records Administration|NARA]]) to provide preservation and access to these resources.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-15 |title=Microfilm |url=https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/microfilming.html |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=National Archives |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=CMCCONNELL |date=2013-08-16 |title=1. Microforms in Libraries and Archives |url=https://www.ala.org/alcts/resources/collect/serials/microforms01 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) |language=en}}</ref>

While digital versions of analog texts can potentially be accessed from anywhere in the world, they are not as stable as most print materials or manuscripts and are unlikely to be accessible decades from now without further preservation efforts, while many books manuscripts and scrolls have already been around for centuries.<ref name=":114"/> However, for some materials that have been damaged by water, insects, or catastrophes, digitization might be the only option for continued use.<ref name=":114"/>

==Library preservation==
{{main|Preservation (library and archival science)}}
[[File:Dunhuang manuscript digitisation.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Digitization at the [[British Library]] of a [[Dunhuang manuscripts|Dunhuang manuscript]] for the [[International Dunhuang Project]]]]
In the context of libraries, archives, and museums, digitization is a means of creating digital surrogates of analog materials, such as books, newspapers, [[microfilm]] and videotapes, offers a variety of benefits, including increasing access, especially for patrons at a distance; contributing to collection development, through collaborative initiatives; enhancing the potential for research and education; and supporting preservation activities.<ref>Hughes, Lorna M.  (2004). ''Digitizing Collections: Strategic Issues for the Information Manager''. London: Facet Publishing. {{ISBN|1-85604-466-1}}. Chapter 1, "Why digitize? The costs and benefits of digitization", p. 3-30; here, especially p. 9-17.</ref> Digitization can provide a means of preserving the content of the materials by creating an accessible facsimile of the object in order to put less strain on already fragile originals. For sounds, digitization of legacy analog recordings is essential insurance against technological obsolescence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/audio-preservation|title=Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects (web edition)|work=iasa-web.org}}</ref> A fundamental aspect of planning digitization projects is to ensure that the digital files themselves are preserved and remain accessible;<ref>Hughes (2004), p. 204.</ref> the term "[[digital preservation]]," in its most basic sense, refers to an array of activities undertaken to maintain access to digital materials over time.<ref>{{cite journal | title =What is Digital Preservation? | last = Caplan | first = Priscilla | journal =  Library Technology Reports |volume = 44 |issue = 2 |date=February–March 2008|page = 7 |url=https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/4224/4808|access-date=2016-10-26}}</ref>

The prevalent [[Brittle Books Program|Brittle Books]] issue facing libraries across the world is being addressed with a digital solution for long term book preservation.<ref>Cloonan, M.V. and Sanett, S.  "The Preservation of Digital Content," Libraries and the Academy.  Vol. 5, No. 2 (2005): 213–37.</ref>  Since the mid-1800s, books were printed on [[pulp (paper)|wood-pulp paper]], which turns acidic as it decays. Deterioration may advance to a point where a book is completely unusable. In theory, if these widely circulated titles are not treated with de-acidification processes, the materials upon those acid pages will be lost. As digital technology evolves, it is increasingly preferred as a method of preserving these materials, mainly because it can provide easier access points and significantly reduce the need for physical storage space.

Cambridge University Library is working on the [[Cambridge Digital Library]], which will initially contain digitised versions of many of its most important works relating to science and religion. These include examples such as Isaac Newton's personally annotated first edition of his ''[[Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica]]''<ref>{{cite web|last=Newton|first=Isaac|title=Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-ADV-B-00039-00001/|publisher=Cambridge University Digital Library|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> as well as college notebooks<ref>{{cite web|last=Newton|first=Isaac|title=Trinity College Notebook|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-03996/|publisher=Cambridge University Digital Library|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Newton|first=Isaac|title=College Notebook|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-04000/|publisher=Cambridge University Digital Library|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref>  and other papers,<ref>{{cite web|last=Newton|first=Isaac|title=Newton Papers|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/newton|publisher=Cambridge University Digital Library|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> and some Islamic manuscripts such as a [[Quran]]<ref>{{cite web|title=al-Qurʼān|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-NN-00003-00075/|publisher=Cambridge University Digital Library|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> from Tipu Sahib's library.

Google, Inc. has taken steps towards attempting to digitize every title with "[[Google Book Search]]".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/|title=Google Books}}</ref>  While some academic libraries have been contracted by the service, issues of copyright law violations threaten to derail the project.<ref>Baksik, C.  "Fair Use or Exploitation?  The Google Book Search Controversy," Libraries and the Academy.  Vol. 6, No. 2 (2006): 399–415.</ref>  However, it does provide – at the very least – an online consortium for libraries to exchange information and for researchers to search for titles as well as review the materials.

==Digitization versus digital preservation==
{{main|Digital preservation}}
Digitizing something is not the same as digitally preserving it.<ref name=":132"/> To digitize something is to create a digital surrogate (copy or format) of an existing analog item (book, photograph, or record) and is often described as converting it from analog to digital, however both copies remain.<ref name="Bloomberg"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of Digitization - Gartner Information Technology Glossary |url=https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/digitization |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Gartner |language=en}}</ref> An example would be scanning a photograph and having the original piece in a photo album and a digital copy saved to a computer. This is essentially the first step in digital preservation which is to maintain the digital copy over a long period of time and making sure it remains authentic and accessible.<ref>Ross, S. (2000). ''Changing trains at Wigan: Digital Preservation and the future of scholarship (1st ed.)''. National Preservation Office (British Library). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/31869566_Changing_Trains_at_Wigan_Digital_Preservation_and_the_Future_of_Scholarship</ref><ref name=":132"/><ref name=":192"/>

Digitization is done once with the technology currently available, while digital preservation is more complicated because technology changes so quickly that a once popular storage format may become obsolete before it breaks.<ref name=":192" /> An example is a 5 1/4" floppy drive, computers are no longer made with them and obtaining the hardware to convert a file stored on 5 1/4" floppy disc can be expensive. To combat this risk, equipment must be upgraded as newer technology becomes affordable (about 2 to 5 years), but before older technology becomes unobtainable (about 5 to 10 years).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fundamentals of AV Preservation - Chapter 4 |url=https://www.nedcc.org/fundamentals-of-av-preservation-textbook/chapter-4-introduction/chapter-4-section-6 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Northeast Document Conservation Center |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":192" />

Digital preservation can also apply to born-digital material, such as a Microsoft Word document or a social media post.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SAA Dictionary: born digital |url=https://dictionary.archivists.org/entry/born-digital.html |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=dictionary.archivists.org}}</ref> In contrast, digitization only applies exclusively to analog materials. Born-digital materials present a unique challenge to digital preservation not only due to technological obsolescence but also because of the inherently unstable nature of digital storage and maintenance.<ref name=":192" /> Most websites last between 2.5 and 5 years, depending on the purpose for which they were designed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crestodina |first=Andy |date=2017-04-25 |title=What is the average website lifespan? 10 Factors In Website Life Expectancy |url=https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/website-lifespan-and-you/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Orbit Media Studios |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Library of Congress provides numerous resources and tips for individuals looking to practice digitization and digital preservation for their personal collections.<ref>Library of Congress. (n.d.). ''Digital preservation''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/</ref>

==Digital reformatting==
'''Digital reformatting''' is the process of converting analog materials into a digital format as a surrogate of the original. The digital surrogates perform a preservation function by reducing or eliminating the use of the original. Digital reformatting is guided by established best practices to ensure that materials are being converted at the highest quality.

===Digital reformatting at the Library of Congress===
The [[Library of Congress]] has been actively reformatting materials for its [[American Memory]] project and developed best standards and practices pertaining to book handling during the digitization process, scanning resolutions, and preferred file formats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/about/techStandards.pdf|title=Library of Congress. (2007). Technical Standards for Digital Conversion of Text and Graphic Materials}}</ref> Some of these standards are:

*The use of [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] 16067-1 and ISO 16067-2 standards for [[Image resolution|resolution]] requirements.
*Recommended 400 [[pixels per inch|ppi]] resolution for [[Optical Character Recognition|OCR]]'ed printed text.
*The use of [[24-bit color]] when color is an important attribute of a document.
*The use of the scanning device's maximum resolution for digitally reproducing photographs
*[[TIFF]] as the standard file format.
*Attachment of descriptive, structural, and technical [[metadata]] to all digitized documents.

A list of archival standards for digital preservation can be found on the [[Association of Research Libraries|ARL]] website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/digi_preserv.pdf|title=Search Publications – Association of Research Libraries® – ARL®|website=www.arl.org|access-date=2016-11-06|archive-date=2012-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505032857/http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/digi_preserv.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Library of Congress has constituted a Preservation Digital Reformatting Program.<ref>Library of Congress, (2006). Preservation Digital Reformatting Program. https://www.loc.gov/preserv/prd/presdig/presintro.html</ref> The Three main components of the program include:
*Selection Criteria for digital reformatting
*Digital reformatting principles and specifications
*Life cycle management of LC digital data

== Audio digitization and reformatting ==
Audio media offers a rich source of historic ethnographic information, with the earliest forms of recorded sound dating back to 1890.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.clir.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/pub164.pdf|title=ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation}}</ref> According to the [[International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives]] (IASA), these sources of audio data, as well as the aging technologies used to play them back, are in imminent danger of permanent loss due to degradation and obsolescence.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Casey|first=Mike|date=January 2015|title=Why Media Preservation Can't Wait: The Gathering Storm|url=https://www.avpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/casey_iasa_journal_44_part3.pdf|journal=IASA Journal|volume=44|pages=14–22}}</ref> These primary sources are called “carriers” and exist in a variety of formats, including wax cylinders, magnetic tape, and flat discs of grooved media, among others. Some formats are susceptible to more severe, or quicker, degradation than others. For instance, lacquer discs suffer from [[delamination]]. Analog tape may deteriorate due to [[Sticky-shed syndrome|sticky shed syndrome]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clir.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/pub164.pdf|title=ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation|access-date=2019-05-04}}</ref>

[[File:Analog tape playback.jpg|thumb|1/4" analog tape being played back on a Studer A810 tape machine for digitization at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings|alt=]]

Archival workflow and file standardization have been developed to minimize loss of information from the original carrier to the resulting digital file as digitization is underway. For most at-risk formats (magnetic tape, grooved cylinders, etc.), a similar workflow can be observed. Examination of the source carrier will help determine what, if any, steps need to be taken to repair material prior to transfer. A similar inspection must be undertaken for the playback machines. If satisfactory conditions are met for both carrier and playback machine, the transfer can take place, moderated by an [[analog-to-digital converter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/technical-bulletins/digitization-audio-tapes.html#a2|title=The Digitization of Audio Tapes – Technical Bulletin 30|last=Institute|first=Canadian Conservation|date=2017-09-14|website=aem|access-date=2019-05-04}}</ref> The digital signal is then represented visually for the transfer engineer by a [[digital audio workstation]], like Audacity, WaveLab, or Pro Tools. Reference access copies can be made at smaller sample rates. For archival purposes, it is standard to transfer at a sample rate of 96&nbsp;kHz and a bit depth of 24 bits per channel.<ref name=":0" />

== Challenges ==
Many libraries, archives, museums, and other memory institutions, struggle with catching up and staying current regarding digitization and the expectation that everything should already be online.<ref name=":142">Greene, M. A. (2010). MPLP: It's not just for processing anymore. ''The American Archivist, 73''(1), 175-203.</ref><ref name=":152">{{cite journal | doi=10.1108/DLP-06-2017-0020 | title=Ramping up | year=2018 | last1=Lampert | first1=Cory | journal=Digital Library Perspectives | volume=34 | issue=1 | pages=45–59 }}</ref> The time spent planning, doing the work, and processing the digital files along with the expense and fragility of some materials are some of the most common.

=== Time spent ===
Digitization is a time-consuming process, even more so when the condition or format of the analog resources requires special handling.<ref>UK Parliament. (2016, October 24). ''Parliamentary archives: The digitisation process'' [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p3-v0rp1rc</ref> Deciding what part of a collection to digitize can sometimes take longer than digitizing it in its entirety.<ref name=":103">Erway, R. (2008, December). Supply and demand: Special collections and digitisation. ''LIBER Quarterly, 18''(3/4), 324-336.</ref> Each digitization project is unique and workflows for one will be different from every other project that goes through the process, so time must be spent thoroughly studying and planning each one to create the best plan for the materials and the intended audience.<ref>Chapman, S. (2009, June 2). Chapter 2: Managing digitization. ''Library Technology Reports, 40''(5), 13-21.</ref>

=== Expense ===
Cost of equipment, staff time, metadata creation, and digital storage media make large scale digitization of collections expensive for all types of [[cultural institution]]s.<ref name=":162">{{cite journal | doi=10.5860/rbm.13.1.369 | title=Balancing Boutique-Level Quality and Large-Scale Production: The Impact of "More Product, Less Process" on Digitization in Archives and Special Collections | year=2012 | last1=Sutton | first1=Shan C. | journal=RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage | volume=13 | issue=1 | pages=50–63 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

Ideally, all institutions want their digital copies to have the best image quality so a high-quality copy can be maintained over time.<ref name=":162"/> In the mid-long term, digital storage would be regarded as the more expensive part to maintain the digital archives due to the increasing number of scanning requests.<ref name="Duran Casablancas">{{Cite journal |last1=Duran Casablancas |first1=Cristina |last2=Holtman |first2=Marc |last3=Strlič |first3=Matija |last4=Grau-Bové |first4=Josep |date=2022-10-12 |title=The end of the reading room? Simulating the impact of digitisation on the physical access of archival collections |journal=Journal of Simulation |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=191–205 |doi=10.1080/17477778.2022.2128911 |s2cid=252883425 |issn=1747-7778|doi-access=free }}</ref> However, smaller institutions may not be able to afford such equipment or manpower, which limits how much material can be digitized, so archivists and librarians must know what their patrons need and prioritize digitization of those items.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |title=6.6 Preservation and Selection for Digitization |url=https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/6.-reformatting/6.6-preservation-and-selection-for-digitization |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Northeast Document Conservation Center |language=en}}</ref> To help the information institutions to better decide the archives worth of digitization, Casablancas and other researchers used a proposed model to investigate the impact of different digitization strategies on the decrease in access requests in the archival and library reading rooms.<ref name="Duran Casablancas" /> Often the cost of time and expertise involved with describing materials and adding metadata is more than the digitization process.<ref name=":114"/>

=== Fragility of materials ===
Some materials, such as brittle books, are so fragile that undergoing the process of digitization could damage them irreparably.<ref name=":103"/><ref name=":17" /> Despite potential damage, one reason for digitizing fragile materials is because they are so heavily used that creating a digital surrogate will help preserve the original copy long past its expected lifetime and increase access to the item.<ref name=":04"/>

=== Copyright ===
Copyright is not only a problem faced by projects like [[Google Books]], but by institutions that may need to contact private citizens or institutions mentioned in archival documents for permission to scan the items for digital collections.<ref name=":162"/> It can be time consuming to make sure all potential copyright holders have given permission, but if copyright cannot be determined or cleared, it may be necessary to restrict even digital materials to in library use.<ref name=":114" /><ref name=":162"/>

== Solutions ==
Institutions can make digitization more cost-effective by planning before a project begins, including outlining what they hope to accomplish and the minimum amount of equipment, time, and effort that can meet those goals.<ref name=":04"/> If a budget needs more money to cover the cost of equipment or staff, an institution might investigate if grants are available.<ref name=":04" /><ref name=":162"/>

=== Collaboration ===
Collaborations between institutions have the potential to save money on equipment, staff, and training as individual members share their equipment, manpower, and skills rather than pay outside organizations to provide these services.<ref name=":202"/> Collaborations with donors can build long-term support of current and future digitization projects.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/1941126X.2015.1092343 | title=Streaming the Archives: Repurposing Systems to Advance a Small Media Digitization and Dissemination Program | year=2015 | last1=Anderson | first1=Talea | journal=Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship | volume=27 | issue=4 | pages=221–231 | s2cid=61418169 }}</ref><ref name=":152"/>

=== Outsourcing ===
Outsourcing can be an option if an institution does not want to invest in equipment but since most vendors require an inventory and basic metadata for materials, this is not an option for institutions hoping to digitize without processing.<ref name=":152" /><ref name=":162" />

=== Non-traditional staffing ===
Many institutions have the option of using volunteers, student employees, or temporary employees on projects. While this saves on staffing costs, it can add costs elsewhere such as on training or having to re-scan items due to poor quality.<ref name=":152" /><ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1108/DLP-07-2017-0024 | title=Staffing with students | year=2018 | last1=Skulan | first1=Naomi | journal=Digital Library Perspectives | volume=34 | issue=1 | pages=32–44 }}</ref>

=== MPLP ===
One way to save time and resources is by using the [[More Product, Less Process]] (MPLP) method to digitize materials while they are being processed.<ref name=":142"/> Since [[GLAM (cultural heritage)|GLAM]] (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) institutions are already committed to preserving analog materials from special collections, digital access copies do not need to be high-resolution preservation copies, just good enough to provide access to rare materials.<ref name=":103"/> Sometimes institutions can get by with 300 dpi JPGs rather than a 600 dpi TIFF for images, and a 300 dpi grayscale scan of a document rather than a color one at 600 dpi.<ref name=":162" /><ref>Kelly, E. (2014, May 14). Processing through digitization: University photographs at Loyola University New Orleans. ''Archival Practice, 1''(1).</ref>

== Digitizing marginalized voices ==
Digitization can be used to highlight voices of historically marginalized peoples and add them to the greater body of knowledge. Many projects, some community archives created by members of those groups, are doing this in a way that supports the people, values their input and collaboration, and gives them a sense of ownership of the collection.<ref name=":52">Manzuch, Z. (2017). Ethical issues in digitization of cultural heritage. ''Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies, 4(''2), article 4. http://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol4/iss2/4</ref><ref name=":822"/> Examples of projects are Gi-gikinomaage-min and the [[South Asian American Digital Archive]] (SAADA).

=== Gi-gikinomaage-min ===
Gi-gikinomaage-min is [[Ojibwe language|Anishinaabemowin]] for "We are all teachers" and its main purpose is "to document the history of Native Americans in Grand Rapids, Michigan."<ref name=":3">{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/01462679.2017.1344597 | title=We Are All Teachers: A Collaborative Approach to Digital Collection Development | year=2017 | last1=Shell-Weiss | first1=Melanie | last2=Benefiel | first2=Annie | last3=McKee | first3=Kimberly | journal=Collection Management | volume=42 | issue=3–4 | pages=317–337 | s2cid=196044884 | doi-access=free }}</ref> It combines new audio and video oral histories with digitized flyers, posters, and newsletters from [[Grand Valley State University]]'s analog collections.<ref name=":3" /> Although not entirely a newly digitized project, what was created also added item-level metadata to enhance context. At the start, collaboration between several university departments and the Native American population was deemed important and remained strong throughout the project.<ref name=":3" />

=== SAADA ===
The [[South Asian American Digital Archive]] (SAADA) has no physical building, is entirely digital and everything is handled by volunteers.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal | doi=10.1002/meet.2014.14505101027 | title=Community-centered collecting: Finding out what communities want from community archives | year=2014 | last1=Caswell | first1=Michelle | journal=Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology | volume=51 | pages=1–9 | s2cid=52004250 | url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0rz7t71t }}</ref> This archive was started by Michelle Caswell and Samip Mallick and collects a broad variety of materials "created by or about people residing in the United States who trace their&nbsp; heritage to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the many South Asian diaspora communities across the globe."<ref name=":4" /> (Caswell, 2015, 2). The collection of digitized items includes private, government, and university held materials.<ref name=":4" />

=== Black Campus Movement Collection (BCM) ===
[[Kent State University]] began its BCM collection when it acquired the papers of African American alumnus Lafayette Tolliver, which included about 1,000 photographs that chronicled the black student experience at Kent State from 1968-1971.<ref name=":822" /> The collection continues to add materials from the 1960s up to and including the current student body and several oral histories have been added since it debuted.<ref name=":822" /> When digitizing the items, it was necessary to work with alumni to create descriptions for the images. This collaboration created changes in local controlled vocabularies the libraries used to create metadata for the images.<ref name=":822" />

== Mass digitization ==
{{main|Mass digitization}}
The expectation that everything should be online has led to mass digitization practices, but it is an ongoing process with obstacles that have led to alternatives.<ref name=":103"/> As new technology makes automated scanning of materials safer for materials and decreases need for cropping and de-skewing, mass digitization should be able to increase.<ref name=":103" />

=== Obstacles ===
Digitization can be a physically slow process involving selection and preparation of collections that can take years if materials need to be compared for completeness or are vulnerable to damage.<ref name=":9">Verheusen, A. (2008). Mass digitization by libraries: Issues concerning organisation, quality and Efficiency. ''LIBER Quarterly'', 18(1), 28-38.</ref> Price of specialized equipment, storage costs, website maintenance, quality control, and retrieval system limitations all add to the problems of working on a large scale.<ref name=":9" />

=== Data privacy and security ===
Digitization presents significant challenges related to data privacy and security.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Muktiarni |first1=M |last2=Widiaty |first2=I |last3=Abdullah |first3=A G |last4=Ana |first4=A |last5=Yulia |first5=C |date=2019-12-01 |title=Digitalisation trend in education during industry 4.0 |journal=Journal of Physics: Conference Series |volume=1402 |issue=7 |pages=077070 |doi=10.1088/1742-6596/1402/7/077070 |issn=1742-6588|doi-access=free |bibcode=2019JPhCS1402g7070M }}</ref> As organizations increasingly depend on electronic databases and information systems, their vulnerability to security threats also rises.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Duggineni |first=Sasidhar |date=2023-06-02 |title=Impact of Controls on Data Integrity and Information Systems |url=http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.scit.20231302.04.html |journal=Science and Technology |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=29–35}}</ref> The risk of data loss rises and cyberattacks can result in significant financial losses and damage the company’s reputation .<ref name=":5" /> Therefore, there is a need for better cybersecurity measures and protection of data security and privacy to decrease the risks associated with digitization.<ref name=":5" />

=== Successes ===

==== Digitization on demand ====
Scanning materials as users ask for them, provides copies for others to use and cuts down on repeated copying of popular items. If one part of a folder, document, or book is asked for, scanning the entire object can save time in the future by already having the material access if someone else needs the material.<ref name=":103" /><ref name=":9" /> Digitizing on demand can increase volume because time spent on selection and prep has been used on scanning instead.<ref name=":9" />

==== Google Books ====
From the start, Google has concentrated on text rather than images or special collections.<ref name=":9" /> Although criticized in the past for poor image quality, selection practices, and lacking long-term preservation plans, their focus on quantity over quality has enabled Google to digitize more books than other digitizers.<ref name=":103" /><ref name=":9" />

== Standards ==
Digitization is not a static field and standards change with new technology, so it is up to digitization managers to stay current with new developments.<ref name=":18"/> Although each digitization project is different, common standards in formats, metadata, quality, naming, and file storage should be used to give the best chance of interoperability and patron access.<ref>Chapman, S. (2009, June 2). Chapter 2: managing digitization. ''Library Technology Reports, 40''(5), 13-21.</ref> As digitization is often the first step in digital preservation, questions about how to handle digital files should be addressed in institutional standards.<ref name=":122"/>

A standard for still images adapted from the Smithsonian digitization standards might include the following:<ref name=":2">Smithsonian Institution Archives. (n.d.). ''Digitizing collections.'' Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://siarchives.si.edu/what-we-do/digital-curation/digitizing-collections</ref>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+
! colspan="8" |Still Image Digitization Standards
|-
|'''Filename format'''
|'''Analog Material Type'''
|'''Color or B&W'''
|'''Resolution of Scan'''
|'''RGB Setting for Scan'''
|'''Digital File Format'''
|'''File Compression'''
|'''Metadata'''
|-
|YYYYMMDD_CollectionID#_Image#
|35&nbsp;mm print
|Color
|600 ppi
|24 bit; 8 bits per color channel
|TIFF
|None
|Follow Local Controlled Vocabularies and LC SH and NAF
|-
|YYYYMMDD_CollectionID#_Image#
|35&nbsp;mm slide
|Color
|1400 ppi
|24 Bit; 8 bits per color channel
|TIFF
|None
|Follow Local Controlled Vocabularies and LC SH and NAF
|-
|YYYYMMDD_CollectionID#_Image#
|microform
|B&W
|300 ppi
|24 Bit
|TIFF
|None
|Follow Local Controlled Vocabularies and LC SH and NAF
|}

Resources to create local standards are available from the [[Society of American Archivists]], the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]], and the [[Northeast Document Conservation Center]].<ref>Society of American Archivists. (n.d.). ''External digitization standards''. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://www2.archivists.org/standards/external/123</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":18"/>

== Implications ==

=== Cultural heritage concerns ===
Digitization of community archives by indigenous and other marginalized people has led to traditional memory institutions reassessing how they digitize and handle objects in their collections that may have ties to these groups.<ref name=":52"/> The topics they are rethinking are varied and include how items are chosen for digitization projects, what metadata to use to convey proper context to be retrievable by the groups they represent, and whether an item should be accessed by the world or just those who the groups originally intended to have access, such as elders.<ref name=":52"/> Many navigate these concerns by collaborating with the communities they seek to represent through their digitized collections.<ref name=":52" />

== Lean philosophy ==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2023}}
The broad use of internet and the increasing popularity of [[Lean manufacturing|lean philosophy]] has also increased the use and meaning of "digitizing" to describe improvements in the efficiency of organizational processes. Lean philosophy refers to the approach which considers any use of time and resources, which does not lead directly to creating a product, as waste and therefore a target for elimination. 
This will often involve some kind of Lean process in order to simplify process activities, with the aim of implementing new "lean and mean" processes by digitizing data and activities. Digitization can help to eliminate time waste by introducing wider access to data, or by the implementation of enterprise resource planning systems.

==Fiction==
Works of science-fiction often include the term digitize as the act of transforming people into [[digital signal]]s and sending them into [[digital electronics|digital technology]]. When that happens, the people disappear from the [[Reality|real world]] and appear in a [[virtual world]] (as featured in the [[cult film]] ''[[Tron]]'', the [[animated series]] ''[[Code: Lyoko]]'', or the late 1980s live-action series ''[[Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future]]''). In the [[video game]] ''[[Beyond Good & Evil (video game)|Beyond Good & Evil]]'', the [[protagonist| protagonist's]] [[holographic]] friend digitizes the player's inventory [[Item (Game)|items]]. One [[Super Friends]] cartoon episode showed [[Wonder Woman]] and [[Jayna]] freeing the world's men (including the male super heroes) onto computer tape by the female villainess Medula.<ref>The Mind Maidens. Aired Nov. 5 1977 on the ABC Network along with other segments.</ref>

== Mind uploading ==
{{main|mind uploading}}
Mind uploading is the ({{as of|2023|lc=y}}) speculative process of copying a human mind into a digital computer so it can be emulated there. This would require some form of advanced [[brain scan]] far more detailed than what is currently possible.

==See also==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Book scanning]]
* [[Digital audio]]
* [[Digital library]]
* [[Economics of digitization]]
* [[Enumerate (project)|ENUMERATE]]
* [[Fourth Industrial Revolution]]
* [[Frame grabber]]
* [[Newspaper digitization]]
* [[Optical character recognition]]
* [[Raster to vector]]
* [[Scannebago]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Wiktionary|digitizing|digitisation}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{refbegin}}
*Anderson, Cokie G.; Maxwell, David C, ''Starting a Digitization Center'', Chandos Publishing, 2004, {{ISBN|978-1843340737}}
*Bulow, Anna; Ahmon, Jess, ''Preparing Collections for Digitization'', Facet Publishing, 2010, {{ISBN|978-1856047111}}
*Perrin, Joy, "Digitization of Flat Media: Principles and Practices", Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015, {{ISBN|978-1442258099}}
*Piepenburg, Scott, "Digitizing Audiovisual and Nonprint Materials: the Innovative Librarian's Guide", Libraries Unlimited, 2015, {{ISBN|978-1440837807}}
*Robinson, Peter, ''Digitization of Primary Textual Sources'', Office for Humanities Communication, 1993, {{ISBN|978-1897791059}}
*S Ross; I Anderson; C Duffy; M Economou; A Gow; P McKinney; R Sharp; The NINCH Working Group on Best Practices, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160221223614/http://www.ninch.org/guide.pdf Guide to Good Practice in the Digital Representation and Management of Cultural Heritage Materials], Washington DC: NINCH, 2002.
*Speranski, V. [http://www.nationalvideo.com.au/challenges-in-audio-visual-digitization-and-digital-preservation Challenges in AV Digitization and Digital Preservation]
*[https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/PLAN%20pdf.pdf 'The Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Plan']
{{refend}}

{{Digital humanities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Data transmission]]
[[Category:Mass digitization]]
[[Category:Digital preservation]]