Family archives
Ask a digitization service the right questions
Before you send anything to a digitization service, list what you have and ask how they handle each type of material, what files you will receive and how originals come back. Get each answer in writing from the provider, and mark anything you only assume.
A text to start with
I am considering a digitization service for [material types, such as prints, letters, slides or tapes]. Their website says [what it says]. My items are in this condition: [fragile, curled, taped, mildewed, stuck together]. Write questions about handling, file formats and resolution, how files are delivered, whether and how originals are returned, and who is responsible if an item is damaged. Draft questions only. Do not answer them for the provider.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Provider question sheet
Provider name and contact: [ ] Date questions sent: [ ] Material type: [ ] Quantity: [ ] Condition and fragile points: [ ] Handling question for this material: [ ] Provider's written answer: [ ] Delivery format and resolution wanted: [ ] Delivery format and resolution offered: [ ] How files are delivered and how long they stay available: [ ] Return process for originals: [ ] Packaging and shipping responsibility: [ ] Damage or loss terms, as stated by provider: [ ] Confirmed in writing: [ ] Still assumed by me: [ ] Test batch agreed: [yes / no]
Separate stated terms from assumptions
A provider's marketing page describes a service in general terms, so check each answer against what they wrote to you. Phrases such as careful handling or archival quality can mean different things at different companies, so ask what the step involves. Do not assume the original comes back in the same order, in the same container or at all unless they say so. Look for fragile items you described that they never addressed. Keep the provider's confirmed terms apart from your own guess about what preservation will mean for the files.
Ask another agent to check the result
Read the provider's replies next to my question sheet. List every claim about preservation, handling or return that the provider did not state, and label it as my assumption. Quote the provider's own words for each confirmed term. Do not fill gaps with typical industry practice.
Get answers in writing, then test
Send the questions through the provider's stated inquiry channel and keep the written replies. Ask whether a small test batch is available before sending the whole collection. Review sample files for missing pages, cropping, legibility and color, as relevant to the originals. Resolve unanswered handling and return questions before choosing a service.