The Image Is Not Enough’. Some Considerations on Digitization of Archival Documents
The Image Is Not Enough’. Some Considerations on Digitization of Archival Documents

Summary/Abstract: In the last decade, digitization became one of the most popular activity in the archival world. I do not challenge if this is right or wrong, if all the processing backlogs or issues associated with paper records were solved, so we can move to another level. It is just an observation that almost all discussions about classical archives is departing from appraisal, arrangement, deacidification, etc. towards digitization. In part, this is due to the great advantages implied. Dissemination of archival holdings without reading room timetable or space limitations, the largescale availability of digitizing hardware and software contributed greatly to the popularity of digitization projects. Hence, by using modern technologies, everybody, from individuals and small, but agile archives up to big National Archives institutions could make their holdings more visible to the world. The easiness of access sometimes created also the representation of a simple, straightforward process, and implicitly created the expectation for archives as being “at a click distance” from users. I was involved in the last years in several projects of digitisation; I had the opportunity to see the plans, but also to draw the afterwards conclusions; to read the success receipts and learn from practical failures. And some of my observations I intend to share in this paper.

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