October 9, 2008 -- The Library of Congress, with a dozen federal agencies, has launched an initiative to establish guidelines for digitizing historical materials, including books, manuscripts, maps, photographic prints and negatives, and sound and video recordings. The guidelines are based on collaborative research and combined experience and will address issues related to the complex activities involved in the digitization of cultural heritage items. A new Web site provides a glossary of digitization terms and concepts, as well as pertinent news and events from the participating agencies.
Two working groups, one addressing content that can be captured in still images, the other focusing on sound, video, and motion-picture content, are meeting regularly and updating the Web site. This collaborative effort initially formed under the auspices of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program.