Family archive desk · Reviewed July 28, 2026

Digitize the collection you actually have.

A shoebox of prints, a bound album, and a stack of clean office paper are not one scanning job. Sort the originals first. Then choose the safest way to scan each group.

Duck sorts photographs, a bound album, film, and a fragile document before choosing a digitization method. — **The original decides the handling.**Sturdy paper, bound albums, film, and brittle documents do not share one safe shortcut.

InventoryFormat and condition

HandleWithout doing harm

CapturePurposeful settings

DescribeNames and metadata

ProtectCheck and back up

Pick the next decision

Do not shop for speed before you know what can be fed

Current official starting point: the National Archives guide to digitizing family papers and photographs covers safe handling, books, automatic feeders, naming, metadata, backup, and keeping the originals.