Digitising Archives

We are able to support Battalions, Companies and individuals who have collections of material in getting this material digitised and added to the BB digital archive. From experience we have found that a stack of papers 10cm high takes about 1 Hour to scan and added to to the digital archive. This is also dependant of the state of the material, and if it has been prepared in advance for scanning. To expedite this process, it is helpful if the material is prepared as follows:

1. all staples, paperclips, pins and any other object used to hold papers together has been removed.
2. loose dirt has removed. Generally very old paper stored in a file has ‘dust’ on the top. Please remove this as it can effect the quality of the scan, as the dust gets into the rollers of the scanners.
3. Documents have been sorted according to scan size. A4 and smaller to be separated from larger sheets.
4. Booklets such as programs etc which are often A4 sheets of paper, folded in half with staples down the spine, need the staples to be removed. Individual booklets and programs will be scanned as individual files and can be separated out from the general paperwork.
5. Please remove the papers from files etc, and line up all the sheets by the bottom. (The paper is fed into the scanner from the bottom of the page) narrow sheets mixed with larger sheets can be centred on the bottom of the pages.
6. Please sort all the paperwork into groups according to how it needs to be stored digitally. Please place a post-it note on the top of each stack of papers with the name of the digital file. eg 6th Birmingham, Boys Records, 1986-98
7.  You need to also decide what is to happen to the material after it has been scanned. If you wish to retain the material please indicate this on the post-it note with an R. If it is to be disposed off, please indicate this with either an S for shed, or a B for bin.
8. The scanners will scan both sides of the paper at the same time, together with Character recognition. Please always ensure the the front page of a document is always face up.
9. Photographs – can also be scanned. These need to be separated out from general paperwork as they are scanned at a higher resolution. Please also ensure that they have as much detail written on the back as possible. Photographs without information generally have very little historical value. Where known please include: date, location, event details, Company/Battalion details, names of people etc.
10. Photographs, certificates etc which are in frames, can be scanned in the frame. The glass needs to be cleaned in advance. (please be careful to ensure that no water or cleaning solution gets behind the glass and onto the photograph or certificate.)to