COST FACTORS IN DIGITIZATION
When contemplating a digital conversion project most organizations have to face the question, "Are the resources available to do a project?" Results from the Digital Images Initiative projects conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002, have shown that the cost of conducting a digital conversion project is well within the reach of small organizations if the project is well designed and has precisely focused goals and outcomes. Digital Projects
Celeste Kline, Director of the Ellensburg Public Library, reported her satisfaction with their first digital project. " We have shown that it is possible for a small library to create a useful and good quality digital database from its unique collection with a reasonable amount of funding and resources, when it is supported and assisted by the larger university libraries. I am most satisfied that our project has such a nice presence on the web, due to the use of CONTENTdm software, and the use of scanning and metadata to complete the objects in the database. The cooperative parts of the project, such as sharing the CONTENTdm software and hosting by the universities, and training and consulting provided by them made this project possible."
Organizing collections, preparation for imaging and preservation of original and fragile documents will all have to be considered when computing costs of a project. When documents are prepared for scanning, physical handling, preservation tasks and packaging of originals will occur and add to workload.. Organize so that you only turn the pages once, i.e. take only one image of the document. Usually you will only be able to afford to capture the image electronically one time. Cost factors vary dramatically for preparing text documents, bound books, photographs, maps, color documents, and audio tapes.
For example, a preparer must inventory, sort, and purge duplicate documents from a batch of prospective objects. Then each selected object must be set for scanning / filming which typically involves removing staples and clips, unfolding papers, repairing torn or wrinkled pages, orienting them in the stack, and noting if it will be a one-sided or two-sided scan.
Estimating cost factors can roughly be calculated by formulas like this. Assuming a rate of one hundred documents an hour, at minimum wage, a collection of 50,000 documents will take 500 hours and cost $2,850 for preparation alone.
50,000 * hours * hourly
rate = total scanning cost or
50,000 * items * item
rate = total scanning cost
Cost Categories
and Estimates for Digitization: (after originals have been acquired)
Selection of materials and review of existing finding aids is a human
centered activity and will be time consuming especially if the original
materials are not already in good organizational order.
Cataloging/Description/Indexing:
Time will have to be budgeted to train indexing staff, create the schema
and metadata templates and normalize the data to be entered.
Document / Photo
Preparation
The cost to prepare documents and photographs for scanning / filming is
highly dependent upon the nature of the source objects, the way they have
been stored, and the desired quality of prepared materials.
Scanning Charges:
The cost to capture an object such as a letter or photograph is dependent
upon the amount of handling required and the nature of the digitized file.
Papers fed through a sheet-feed scanner represent the low end of expense.
Photographs or maps needing human placement on scanners represent the
high end of expense. The cost per item for scanning is from fifteen cents
to several dollars. If microfilming is also performed, then it is possible
up to $1.25 per item will be added.
Quality control
of Images and Metadata:
Review of image quality and metadata input can be performed in a batch
mode and by checking a selected percentage of the output.
Preservation/Conservation: If any preservation or conservation activities are added to the preparation of the originals then add fifty percent more to the costs for the project.
Transportation
to Capture site
Movement of source objects to a scanning / filming site requires additional
attention beyond normal shipping practices. This includes protecting the
contents from the elements, inventorying the contents for integrity of
the shipment, linking their order, and assuring careful handling. Of course,
if the objects are transported to the scanning site by the owners directly,
this saves on movement charges.
Below are referenced two digital cost studies that examine various factors to be considered when conducting digital projects.
"Digital conversion accounts for approximately one-third of the initial costs. Other costs, primarily those connected to indexing and cataloging, administration and quality control, account for the remaining two-thirds." Steve Puglia, National Archives and Records Administration, 1999
Puglia, Steve. "The Costs of Digital Imaging" RLG DigiNews (October 1999). http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews3-5.html#feature -includes several projections/cost models for the long-term maintenance of digital image files.
Stephen Chapman, Handbook For Digital Projects: Key Quality and Cost Decisions for Digitized Text pp. 108-109. (PFD version, see pages 117-120)
- Is the cost of digitization appropriate given the value of the materials and the demand for digital access?
- Where will the money come from?
- On-going costs will include the migration of media and maintenance/upgrade of infrastructure.
- Photographs are the most expensive to convert
- Avoid the hidden
costs of internal development of databases and programming new systems.
The cost is too high for small organizations.
- Initial project costs and ongoing costs to support digital asset management: must be estimated up-front for realistic assessment of costs.
- Consider what parts of the project will funding support? (Physical resources, hardware, software, networked access, personnel, dedicated space, vendor services, etc.)
- What about plans for maintaining access into the future (ongoing costs)? Is there a long-term institutional commitment to this project?
