Note: glass plate negatives and lantern slides are extremely heavy and fragile. Use caution when preparing glass plates for digitization.

Retrieve material from physical storage

1. Retrieve glass plates from physical storage. If necessary, log into the Archives Catalogue to confirm the physical location of the material. 
   
   
2. If glass plates are retrieved for an Archives Document Delivery Request, place material on the “To Be Scanned” shelf in the Scanning Room.
   
   
3. If material is retrieved for a routine digitization project or other purposes, ensure that retrieved material is placed in secure temporary storage for the duration of the project. 

Identify digitization equipment

Note: The Libraries' digitization equipment is for internal projects. Libraries staff must book the equipment through the meeting room booking system. Consult the Digitization Coordinator for assistance identifying digitization equipment.

Determine technical specifications for scanning job

1. Consult the technical specifications for photographs, slides, and negatives to find current technical specifications for glass plate digitization projects.

1. Determine the best file “prefix” to be used by the scanning software. Prefixes used in archives digitization projects must mimic "reference codes" assigned to the analog source material. Appendix B provides some guiding principles for file naming.
   
   
2. Determine the desired hierarchical organization of the digital files. Appendix B provides some guiding principles for file organization.

Conduct copyright assessment if necessary

Note: Photographic processes that utilize glass plates became obsolete in the early twentieth century, but some communities continued to use the format for decades. The vast majority of images captured in Canada on glass plates are in the public domain.

All digitization activities must comply with the Copyright Act and Dalhousie Fair Dealing Guidelines. A copyright assessment for each file or item may not always be necessary (e.g., in cases where material is in the public domain). Consult with the Project Manager or Libraries’ Copyright Services Coordinator for guidance as necessary.

1. Determine if a copyright assessment is necessary.
   
   
2. Assess the material for privacy and confidentiality concerns in accordance with Section D.2 of the Libraries’ Takedown Request Protocol. 
   
   
3. Check the copyright and licensing status of the material in accordance with Section D.4 of the Libraries’ Takedown Request Protocol.
   
   
4. If the conditions in Section D.2 are satisfied and none of the conditions in Section D.4 apply, conduct a copyright assessment using the Libraries’ Copyright Assessment Tool.
   
   
5. Documentation: Document the copyright assessment using the Libraries’ Copyright Assessment Worksheet. Ensure the worksheet is filed in accordance with Dalhousie's Records Management Policy.
   
   
6. Attach a copy of the Copyright Assessment Worksheet to the file folder. 
   

Identify other workflow issues

Note: this section is intended for archival files that contain mixed material or mass digitization projects that require an "assembly line" workflow. The procedures may not be required for all projects. 

1. Assess the material and determine whether its physical characteristics will disrupt the digitization workflow and/or affect the desired digital "master files" and “access” copy. Workflow issues can occur when digitizing material such as:
   
   
   1. Bound scrapbooks or photo albums
   2. Fragile or torn items
   3. Files that include a mix of glass plates and textual records
   4. Files that include a mix of glass plates and photographic prints

Physically rehouse glass plates and assign item-level reference codes

Note: Digitization of glass plate negatives usually requires the scanner operator to consider physical storage issues and assign new item-level reference codes to each item. Physical rehousing may be required to achieve desired results. Physical preparation of photographic prints may occur in tandem with physical preparation of textual records, or photographic slides, or photographic negatives. See the Project Manager or Libraries' Digitization Coordinator for guidance.

1. Find a clean flat surface where the glass plates can be handled.
   
   
2. Assess current physical storage and arrangement of glass plates. Identify tasks required to achieve two physical processing goals:
   
   
   1. Physically rehouse the glass plates in archival quality storage containers
   2. Assign item-level reference codes
      
      
3. Physically rehouse the glass plates as required. Refer to the following points for guidance:
   
   
   1. Archival material can only be physically separated during archival processing and digitization if the file- or item-level archival descriptions are cross-referenced. The finding aid must include notes that help document the manner in which the material was kept by the creator.
   2. Small amounts of photographs can be physically arranged and assigned physical storage locations and item-level reference codes as part of the “PB Box” system.
   3. Large amounts of photographs can be physically arranged into one or more boxes and assigned physical storage locations and item-level reference codes as part of a sequence of boxes that are physically grouped together by fonds- or collection-level reference code.
   4. Photographs can be physically arranged in a manner that reflects the intellectual arrangement in the finding aid, but it is not necessary. Items can be intellectually arranged in a manner that does not match the physical storage locations and corresponding item-level reference codes.
      
      

4. Assign item-level reference codes as required. Refer to the following table for guidance:

   Format / size	Preferred physical storage	File-level reference code	Item-level reference code
   3 x 5 in. glass plates (or smaller)	Paper microfiche envelope in small Hollinger photograph box	Option #1 - use box number Option #2 - write in pencil across the top of a tabbed indexed card	Write in pencil across the front edge of the envelope
   4 x 6 in. OR 5 x  7 in. glass plates	Paper envelope in large Hollinger photograph box	Optional - written in pencil across the top of a tabbed indexed card	Write in pencil across the front edge of the envelope
   8 x 10 in. glass plates	Letter-sized archival file folder in letter-sized coroplast document box	Write in pencil across the front edge of the envelope	Write in pencil across the front edge of the folder

5. Assign physical locations to each item or update existing physical location information as required.
   
   
6. If a file includes a mix of glass plates and textual records, also complete procedures described in the instructions on physically preparing textual records.
   
   
7. If a file includes a mix of glass plates and slides, also complete procedures described in the instructions on physically preparing photographic slides.
   
   
8. If a file includes a mix of glass plates and negatives, also complete procedures described in the instructions on physically preparing photographic negatives.
   
   
9. Bring prepared file to scanner.

Optional - complete file preparation checklist

Note: The Digitization File Preparation Checklist is intended for mass digitization projects that require an "assembly line" workflow. The checklist can also serve as a useful guide for routine digitization activities, but it is not required for all projects. Consult with the Project Manager or Libraries' Digitization Coordinator for guidance as necessary.

1. Print a “Digitization File Preparation Checklist." Attach the checklist to the cover of the folder(s) or item(s) with a paper clip. 
   
   
2. Record the name and email address of the individual or organization that requested the scans.
   
   
3. Complete the "File information" section (completed by, date, reference code, and optional PDA number). 
   
   
4. Complete the "Technical specifications" section. 
   
   
5. Check the appropriate box in the "Scanning equipment" section.
   
   
6. Check the “Copyright Assessment Tool used” box on the checklist if applicable. If this box is checked, also indicate if the file is “low-risk” or “high-risk.”
   
   
7. Summarize any notable privacy and/or copyright issues in the "Notes" section.
   
   
8. Use the "Notes" section to make notes about workflow issues (e.g., describe documents to be excluded from the ADF scanner), describe other physical issues (e.g., list dimensions or indicate presences of floppy disks in the file), or highlight issues for future stages of the digitization process (e.g., suggestions for updating archival descriptions).
   
   
9. Review material to ensure basic preparation procedures are complete and items to be scanned are properly identified. Check the “Physical preparation complete” box on the checklist.
   
   
10. Review entire “Archives Digitization File Preparation Checklist” to ensure completeness and accuracy.
    
    
11. Update project tracking spreadsheet or other project management tools, if applicable.