Strategy

The following five principles governing the implementation of the digitisation strategy have been defined:

• the Library will develop digitisation projects based on clear and demonstrable needs and benefits
• the Library will adopt a standards-based approach to digitisation
• digitised collections will, where practical, be hosted at the Wellcome Trust
• digitised collections will be made freely available to all
• the Wellcome Trust is committed to storing its digitised content for the long term.

Smaller projects are carried out entirely in-house, while large projects (such as the digitisation of the medical journal back-files) require outside services for high-volume digitisation.

Selection criteria

With over 2.5 million objects in the Library's collections - comprising print, manuscript, audio, film and pictures - clear selection criteria are required. Future digitisation projects will be chosen to align with the Library’s new strategic theme-based development. Key criteria for choosing content for digitisation is as follows:

• Audience
  Although digitised objects will be accessible to all - and will appeal to many of the Library's audiences - the focus will be on meeting the needs of the educational and professional audiences.
• Scholarly and historical value
  The Library will select groups of materials that make up important and useful online collections, based on their materials’ scholarly and historical value.
• Feasibility
  Before any project can be approved, the Library will need to satisfy itself that the project is feasible.
• Uniqueness
  The Library will give a lower priority to digitising material that has been digitised by other institutions and publishers.
• Partnerships
  The Library will actively seek partners for its digitisation projects, and prioritise those projects for which partners can be identified.
• Critical mass
  The Library will undertake projects that will create a critical mass of digitised resources. To this end, selected objects will, where possible be digitised in their entirety.

Technical issues

The Wellcome Library has extensive experience in both cataloguing and digitisation.

The Library has two cataloguing systems in use for its physical holdings: CALM for archives and manuscripts - including born digital archives, and Millennium for all other content, including books, films, and pictures. Cataloguing standards used are ISAD(G) 2 and MARC 21/AACR3. Digital images made available via Wellcome Images are catalogued in a bespoke system (MIRO).

All content selected for digitisation projects is either already catalogued, or is catalogued as part of the project.

The Photographic Department carries out all in-house digitisation. Equipment available includes:

• two Hasselblad H2 medium-format cameras with Leaf Aptus 75 one-shot digital backs
• iQsmart 3 flatbed scanner
• book2net book scanner
• two Nikon D3 35mm DSLR cameras.

Previous work completed by the photographic team is included in the 160 000 images currently available through Wellcome Images. The photographic department also provides a bespoke copying service of material held in the Library for researchers. For more information please visit Wellcome Images or email the picture researchers on images@wellcome.ac.uk.

For more information on the technical implementation of the digitisation projects, see our technical reports.