To help its community digitize important memories and histories, the DC History Center is now offering scanning appointments through the Kiplinger Research Library. This new service is a continuation of the work we began last year through the HumanitiesDC grant-funded Claves del Pasado community archiving project. As we expand the parameters of who and what is included in institutions of memory, the preservation of photos and personal papers plays a key role in helping communities connect to their past and view themselves as a part of history. These materials can be fragile and subject to the ravages of time, and so creating a digital backup is crucial.
Although the Claves initiative is specifically geared towards Latinx history, the library scanning appointments are open to everyone and anyone who is interested in digitizing their personal artifacts. These scans will be yours to keep. Unless a patron requests that their items be evaluated for inclusion in our digital archive, the library will not retain any files once they have been delivered.
Appointment Details
Scanning is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 am to noon and from 1 to 3 pm, or by special arrangement. To make a scanning appointment, please email library@dchistory.org.
At the start of your two-hour scanning appointment, library staff will show you how to use the overhead and photo scanning equipment. After your appointment, you will receive a link from the library with your high-resolution images available for download.