Preserving the Past

In an age where history can be lost with a hard drive crash or a moldy storage room, digital archiving for media houses and institutions is no longer optional — it’s essential.
Whether you run a media house, a school, a government agency, a museum, or a corporate organisation, the challenge is the same: How do you protect decades of newspapers, books, and records so they remain accessible for generations to come?

This guide walks you through practical steps, tools, and best practices for scanning, archiving, and safeguarding your precious materials — without drowning in technical jargon.

Step 1: Understand What Needs to Be Archived

Before you start scanning, you need to decide what you are protecting.

For Media Houses:

• Old newspaper editions dating back decades.
• Photographs, negatives, and press releases.
• Rare interview recordings.

For Schools & Universities:

• Student admission and graduation records.
• Research publications, theses, and yearbooks.

For Government Agencies:

• Public service documents and policy records.
• Historical maps and legislative records.

For Museums & Libraries:

• Rare manuscripts and fragile books.
• Exhibition catalogs and art documentation.

Pro Tip: Create an inventory list and prioritise documents based on historical value, legal requirements, and usage frequency.

Step 2: Choose the Right Scanning Equipment

Selecting the correct scanner depends heavily on document type, format, and volume. Eemediba’s product line offers versatile solutions tailored to diverse archival needs:

• Flatbed & Overhead Scanners
  • Bookeye 5 V3 Overhead Book Scanner — excels with fragile bound books and oversized newspapers, providing high-res scans without spine damage.
• Automated Book Scanners
  • ScanRobot 2.0 MDS — perfect for mass digitization; fully automated with rapid page-turning and precision imagery.
• Art and Map Scanning
  • WideTEK 36ART-600 — ideal for art, high-detail maps, architectural plans, and sensitive paper artifacts. Preserves detail with no physical contact.
  • WideTEK 36CL Ultra-Fast Colour CIS Scanner — designed for large-format, continuous scanning needs, delivering speed without sacrificing clarity.

Step 3: Digitise With Preservation in Mind

The scanning process isn’t just about making a copy, it’s about creating a future-proof digital version.

• Scan in high resolution (300–600 DPI for text, higher for images).
• Use non-compressed or lossless formats (TIFF, PNG) for master files; JPEG or PDF for access copies.
• Maintain colour accuracy for historical newspapers and images.

Step 4: Organise & Catalog Your Files

This is where many projects fail — files end up in random folders, making them impossible to find.

• Create clear naming conventions (e.g., “Lagos_Daily_News_Jan_05_1998”).
• Store metadata (author, date, keywords) alongside each file.
• Use a digital archive system like NAINUWA Digital Archive System to make searching, browsing, and sharing easy.

Step 5: Store Securely and Backup

A single copy is never enough.

• Maintain at least 3 backups: one on-site, one off-site, and one in the cloud.
• Use secure servers with encryption for sensitive data.
• Test your backups regularly to ensure they are not corrupted.

Step 6: Make Archives Accessible

The goal of archiving isn’t just preservation — it’s access.

• For media houses: searchable archives for journalists and the public.
• For schools: digital libraries for students and researchers.
• For governments: public record portals for transparency.
• For museums: online exhibitions and digital catalogues.

Step 7: Keep the Archive Alive

Archiving is not a “once and done” project.

• Schedule regular updates for new materials.
• Review file formats every few years to avoid obsolescence.
• Train staff or students on how to contribute to the archive.

Why This Matters Now

Every day, physical archives are lost to floods, fire, pests, and neglect. Once gone, they’re gone forever.
By investing time and effort in digital archiving for media houses and institutions, you not only preserve your history but make it accessible to the next generation.

For deeper technical specifications of the tools mentioned in this guide, you can explore:

• Bookeye 5 V3 Overhead Book Scanner
• ScanRobot 2.0 MDS Automatic Book Scanner
• NAINUWA Digital Archive System