Columbia Libraries has a small staff devoted to filling digitization orders from patrons. Taking on very large orders strains our ability to provide service to other patrons.

Digitization orders for archival and manuscript materials and special collections materials such as photographs are divided into the following categories.

• A request for up to 500 images is considered a normal order and is processed following the standard procedures.
• A request for between 501-1000 images is considered a large order, and requires review by Preservation & Digital Conversion Division staff. In some cases orders may have to be declined due to the amount of imaging staff time they would consume.
  • Library staff will take the order information, and will initiate the review process, which may require 1-2 weeks.
  • After review, staff will contact the patron with the cost of the order and the time frame for completing it, or will inform the patron that the order cannot be filled. In most cases we should be able to fill the order.
• Any request over 1000 images will not be considered a digitization order, but instead will be treated as a proposal for a special project requiring a separate planning and approval process.