Library Guide to 35 mm Slides
Digitalization
Journal Articles
Creating New Partnerships: An Examination of Two Collaborative, Grant-funded Digitization Projects
Oleen, J., & Olsen, L. (2011). Creating new partnerships: An examination of two collaborative, grant-funded digitization projects. Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, 12(3-4), 370–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496505.2011.619380
Oleen and Olsen discuss a case study of two projects of digitization with different collections. One is the digitization of a 35 mm slide collection. They document the process of the digitization from the types of file formats to the equipment used.
Digitizing Collections
Jerrido, M., Cotilla, L., & Whitehead, T. M. (2001). Digitizing Collections. Collection Management, 26(3), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1300/j105v26n03_02
Another case study of different types digitization projects in comparison to each other. The methods discussed within the study are mostly still valid even though being from 2001. The main difference is the technology available now compare to then.
Heritage Seeds: Preserving a Scholar-Photographer's Legacy Slides in a Digital Environment
Kohl, A. T. (2013). Heritage Seeds: Preserving a Scholar-Photographer's Legacy Slides in a Digital Environment. VRA Bulletin, 39(3).
Planning Considerations for Digital Conversion of 35 mm Slides
Regennitter, F. J. (2000). Planning Considerations for Digital Conversion of 35 mm Slides. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics: Official Publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, Its Constituent Societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics, 117(1), 110–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0889-5406(00)70077-1
This report covers how 35mm slides are converted to digital images by covering the various steps taken as well as any issues that arose. The issues that the author came across are still relevant even though the article is over 20 years old. However, the digital file formats suggested along with the resolution are out of date.
Using DSLR to “Scan” Colour Slides: learning from the Digitising Jemdet Nasr 1988–1989 Project
Mónica Palmero Fernández. (2020). Using DSLR to “Scan” Colour Slides: learning from the Digitising Jemdet Nasr 1988–1989 Project. Internet Archaeology, 55. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.55.10
This article is a comparison between various ways of digitizing slides. The author uses several different pieces of technology, using both scanners and a DLSR camera, to see which gives the best image and which is the most cost efficient. . The author’s table that easily compares the various methods against each other is one of the most helpful aspects of the article. This article is also very thorough about explaining in detail how the slides were processed each way causing its value to increase in this source list.
A case study article which covers the preservation of a collection of 35mm slides from a university. As a case study, made up of the majority of questions and their answers along with the process of how this was tackled, gives a very helpful insight of the issues faced when a project like this is taken on.
Web Resources
Conserve-o-grams from the National Park Service
These flyers or pamphlets from the National Parks Service cover a wide range of conservation and preservation topics. A few that are helpful when it comes to digitization of 35 mm slides are:
22/1 Understanding Bit Depth
22/2 Understanding Digital Image Formats
22/3 Understanding PPI (Pixels Per Inch), DPI (Dots Per Inch), and Digital Display
22/4 Understanding Histograms for Digital Photography
22/5 Digital Storage Media
22/6 Terminology For The Creation, Care, And Storage Of Digital Materials
6.6 Preservation and Selection for Digitization from NEDCC
NEDCC or Northeast Document Conservation Center has many resources for the preservation and conservation of various materials. This article on how to select items for digitization as well as what to ultimately choose to preserve. It deals more with why to what to think about preserving.
Print Resources
Creating Family Archives; A Step-by-Step Guide to Saving Your Memories for Future Generations
Note, M. (2019). Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide to Saving Your Memories for Future Generations. Society of American Archivists.
Chapters 13 and 14 in this book go hand in hand covering turning collections digital and managing digital collections for preservation. Through the author’s colorful charts and tables along with her simple yet detailed explanations of terms, methods, and practices related to these topics, she gets her point across easily that almost anyone can understand. Overall, this is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to create a family archive or just about the archival process.
