Our Experience

Digitization is more than preservation

Digitization is the key to preserving valuable archives for generations. The Jefferson Institute brings a wealth of experience and technological capacity to this essential task for the conscientious and forward-thinking archivist. Since 2006, we have digitized an average of 100,000 pages of archival material each month. This effort has converted materials spanning more than three centuries into a web-ready and easily-searchable form. Digitization is more than mere preservation; it provides researchers with immediate and thorough access to records that would be unthinkable in a traditional, physical archive.

We understand that each archive is complex and unique. Before the first page is digitized, we work to understand the particular needs of an individual archive – the condition and organization of the materials; the history and intellectual roots of the archive; the innovative ways the archive can be used by those who treasure it; the physical workspace; human resource management and workflow. Only then, do we begin customizing a unique solution to an archive’s digitization requirements. We bring digitization to archives, not the other way around. Furthermore, we understand the importance of minimizing disruption to an archive’s ongoing work, and we implement the digitization process with minimal interruption.