Digital Imaging Project Preparation Tools

To meet a member need flagged in the PRESERV strategic plan, in 1997 we arranged for a "toolkit" to assist institutions in planning, budgeting, and preparing for digital imaging projects.

RLG had been asked for a model request for information, request for proposals, and a contract for digital imaging services, comparable to those the organization had provided for contracting microfilming services. Among our members, Cornell University's Department of Preservation and Conservation was already experienced with a variety of digital imaging projects.

Under RLG contract, Cornell created the following Tools for Digital Imaging (all in pdf format):

• RLG Worksheet for Estimating Digital Reformatting Costs—guide to preparing a budget for digitization-related activities; indicates what must be considered in planning a digital reformatting project.
• RLG Guidelines for Creating a Request for Proposals (including text conversion and encoding)—together with the following two models, assists institutions to develop their own RFP for digital imaging services.
• RLG Model Request for Information—example of what Cornell University used to identify vendors of digital imaging services to whom they would send the project RFP.
• RLG Model Request for Proposals—example of how Cornell University adapted the RLG guidelines for creating an RFP, for a text-based digitization project.