About This Initiative

Started in 2007, this is a collaborative effort by federal agencies to define common guidelines, methods, and practices for digitizing historical content.   As part of this, two working groups are studying issues specific to two major areas, Still Image and Audio Visual.

Learn more about the initiative

• Audio Digitization System Performance
  Draft for Public Comment | Comment period closes April 15, 2012
  

  This document discusses the relevant metrics and measurement methods for analog-to-digital converters. Future performance-related documents will discuss the problem of interstitial errors, i.e., accidental loss or transformations of audio samples within the digitizing system before the data stream is written to file.

• Minimal Descriptive Embedded Metadata in Digital Still Images
  Reviewed and Recommended by Working Group  |  March 23, 2012

  Guidelines created by the EMDaWG (Embedded Metadata Working Group) of the Smithsonian Institution and recommended by the Still Image Working Group. This document defines the minimum proposed descriptive embedded metadata for digital still images.

• Embedding Metadata in Broadcast WAVE Files
  Draft for public comment  | Comment period closes February 21, 2012
  

  Revision to the guideline for metadata to be embedded in Broadcast WAVE files that reproduce historical and cultural heritage digital sound recordings.

• Technical Guidelines for the Still Image Digitization of Cultural Heritage Materials
  Updated by Working Group | August 24, 2010
  

  Creation of Raster Image Master Files represents shared best practices followed by agencies participating in the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) Still Image Working Group for digitizing cultural heritage material.

• MXF Application Specification for Moving Image and other Audio-Visual Content
  Draft under development
  

  The MXF Application Specification for Archiving and Preservation is a detailed specification for a file "wrapper" intended to serve reformatting programs in which an archive is making a digital-file copy of a videotape or motion picture film, as well as to serve as a container for born-digital content when the native encoded essence is judged suitable for retention for at least the medium term.

All digitization guidelines

News & Events

• Information or Artifact? Four-part blog on digitizing books and photos
  October 17-20, 2011
• Evaluating Still Image Digitization and Digitization Equipment
  (PDF, 2.5 MB) | August 16, 2010
• Information Standards Quarterly article
  (PDF, 528 KB) | Spring 2010
• Federal Computer Week article
  February 5, 2010

See all News & Events

Resources

The following are provided as resources for the digitization of both audio-visual and still image digital content.

• Digital Imaging Standards
• Evaluating Still Image Digitization and Digitization Equipment (PDF, 2.5 MB)
• “Format Considerations in Audio Visual Preservation Reformatting” (PDF, 528 KB)

View all Resources