Archival Scanning Services

Your archives contain many valuable documents.

Some may be old and fragile, some rare and one-of-a-kind, some may be stored as loose sheets of paper and others as bound books. 

Whether it is old business records or archived copies of publications, government records such as geological maps or building blueprints, these documents must be digitized to preserve them and mitigate the risks of losing valuable information due to aging, theft or natural disasters.

At RDS, we specialize in preserving historical archives using our archival scanning services. 

 

 
 
 
Gray header.png

We’re preserving a slice of history, one document at a time!
Talk to RDS for World-class Archival Scanning & Preservation

Artboard 1 copy.png
 

Archival Scanning & Preservation: Safeguarding Legacy Records

Safeguard & Retain Legacy Information

Archival scanning makes legacy information available and accessible to future generations with due safety, security & precautions for preserving the originals.

 

Disaster-proof Archived Documents

We digitize physical documents and ensure that electronic copies are always backed up on the cloud. We also take measures to preserve the originals for as long as possible.

 

Comply With Retention Regulations

Government institutions that store historical archives or valuable public records must comply with statutory retention policies. Digital copies make it easier to adhere to retention policies.

 

Save Labor and Storage Costs

Digital documents save space in government offices and cut expensive real estate costs. They are also easier to manage, so you save costs on administrative staff to manage archives.

 

Safe & Professional Handling

Trust our skilled scanning technicians to handle your precious documents with special care. They are trained to follow best practices to ensure the safety and security of your documents.

 

Customized Scanning & Preservation Solutions

We have designed customized scanning and preservation solutions to meet the unique archival scanning needs of government departments, historical societies, institutions, and enterprises.

 

The Importance Of Archival Scanning Services

Historical archives contain valuable information. While we want this information to be available to scholars, researchers and students who need it, we also have a responsibility to retain these valuable originals for as long as possible.

Digitization helps us solve this challenge. By scanning the originals, we can make digital copies available to those who need to use the information—and by using specialized preservation techniques, we can retain the precious originals for as long as possible. 

And even if an original document degrades with time or due to an unavoidable natural event such as a fire or flood, we still have electronic copies available so the information is not lost.

Archival scanning services are vital to preserve our cultural heritage, retain valuable information and fulfill our responsibility to pass on informational legacies to our future generations.

 

Specialized Archival Scanning Solutions

We have helped many organizations to preserve their historical informational heritage by offering them our specialized archival scanning services.

We handle each precious document with the utmost care, ensuring it remains in perfect condition throughout the scanning process.

Scanning is a great way to preserve valuable documents in a digital format. But more importantly, we can make them searchable by managing them via an electronic document management system.

We recommend OpenText AppEnhancer, a secure content management system that you can deploy on the cloud or on-prem.

We provide additional automation solutions to make document archives more accessible. For example, our indexing services combine the use of data extraction technology and manual data entry.

Using advanced OCR technology, we convert scanned images into machine-readable text, which can be made fully searchable at the click of a button.

 

Types of Documents We Scan & Preserve

We are equipped to handle various types of historical documents and archives.

From individual sheets of paper to files and folders, bound books and large-format or odd-sized documents, we can digitize and preserve the following types of documents.

  • Historical land records

  • Publications, books, journals

  • Geological maps and surveys

  • Building blueprints 

  • Architectural drawings and schematics

  • Citizens' vital records

  • Court judgments and sentences

  • Student records

  • Archived financial records for businesses

 

Our Archival Scanning Process

We have developed a well-defined, proven archival scanning and document preservation methodology. Highly skilled and qualified Project Managers execute the entire project in close coordination with client representatives.

We first understand your project requirements, depending on the condition and volume of documents in your archives.

We then follow our scanning project process to convert all documents into digital copies. This starts with the pickup and secure transportation of documents to our scanning facility. If you prefer, we can organize an onsite scanning service where we send a team and equipment to your premises for scanning so your valuable documents don't leave your premises.

After scanning, we do a quality check and send any illegible or low-quality scans for image enhancement or a rescan.

We use OpenText Intelligent Capture, an automated data capture software that can accurately capture critical data and create machine-readable text and index documents so that they are made searchable.

We then move to preservation techniques to improve the life of the original physical documents.

This includes:

  • Cleaning accumulated dust, removing tapes, clips or staples and cleaning residues such as glue.

  • Repairing any damage to the documents, such as mending tears and removing creases or stains. 

  • Deacidifying documents to enhance the life of the paper by adding an alkaline buffering agent that prevents further deterioration.

  • Binding loose papers into custom binders or book covers that offer perfect protection for each type of record.

 

 
 

10 Questions to Ask Your Prospective Scanning Provider

Documents that power your business hold invaluable information. You want to make sure they are always in the right hands.

So, it's critical to choose a document scanning provider you can trust. But how do you find the right partner for your scanning project?

Introducing the Ultimate Checklist for choosing your document scanning provider.

Answer 10 simple questions to pick the right vendor. And say goodbye to endless hours spent evaluating tons of scanning providers!

Download the checklist now and make the right choice for your scanning project!

 

Preserve informational legacies with secure & affordable
Archival Scanning & Preservation Services

Artboard 1 copy 8.png

Scanning Project FAQs

  • Yes, if you choose a reputable vendor like RDS.

    Our facility is equipped with 24-hour surveillance, enhanced security alarms, smoke detection alert systems, temperature control, and everything you need to keep your documents secure when in our custody.

    In addition, if your records cannot leave your building, our experienced team comes to you to set up scanning equipment onsite and digitize your collection.

  • Our secure document scanning facilities are located in Abita Springs, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas. We serve a wide range of clients with document scanning projects throughout the US.

    Facility Locations:

    Abita Springs:

    Address: 70161 Highway 59, Suite G, Abita Springs, LA 70420
    Phone: (985) 888-0091

    Directions: Conveniently close to New Orleans, just a brief drive across the Causeway. It's less than an hour's drive from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, via I-12, through Denham Springs, Hammond, Covington, and Mandeville.

    Dallas:

    Address: 8130 John W. Carpenter Fwy, Dallas, TX 75247
    Phone: (945) 235-8600

    Directions: Our Dallas facility is located in the heart of Dallas, just a short drive from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

    Both locations deliver comprehensive and secure document scanning services. This includes secure pickup and transportation of your documents, ensuring a reliable chain of custody throughout the scanning process. We also offer the ability to track every box of papers during the project and provide any document in electronic form within 30 minutes if needed before the completion of the scanning project.

  • A standard banker box of documents holds between 2,000 and 2,500 pages. A large box holds between 4,000 and 4,500 pages. Both numbers vary based on how tightly packed the boxes are and how many folders are in the box.

    You can estimate between 150 and 200 pages per inch for paper on a shelf or in file cabinets. That number varies based on how tightly packed the shelves or drawers are and how many folders are in them.

    Remember that a duplex or two-sided page counts as two pages. Grab a few folders and get a rough estimate of the percentage of the two-sided pages in your collection. Then, multiply that percentage by the total number of pages.

    These numbers serve as an estimate of the total number of pages you need to be scanned. So, while they are not exact, they do give us a pretty good idea about your overall volume.