About the Digital Production Center
The Digital Production Center (DPC) is part of the Digital Collections Services department in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The expert staff working in the Digital Production Center create digital facsimiles of unique, rare, or fragile primary resources for the purpose of preservation, access, and publication. Our efforts are focused on collections held by Duke University Libraries, and the content we create is used in an ever-widening range of digital collections in the Duke Digital Repository.
Our operating principle is to achieve results that consistently meet or exceed industry standards. We plan and work in a structured and scalable way so the collections we digitize are accessible for today and preserved for the future. The Digital Production Center plays an integral role in supporting The Duke University Libraries Strategic Plan, 2024-2029 by expanding access to culturally and historically significant collections and sharing our materials with researchers around the world.
Digitizing for Historical Preservation and Access: Our Process and Strategy
The Digital Production Center’s technical specifications consider several factors that guide our approach to creating digital surrogates. These include the source materials’ condition and handling requirements, project scale, budget, timeline, and the needs of our user communities. Our goal is to represent the original material as faithfully as possible for preservation and online access.
Creating a faithful surrogate of the original item is a nuanced process that is guided by the expertise and judgment of our staff. Based on the needs and variation of the material, our team configures our digitization systems to ensure optimal capture conditions of each item we digitize. We strive to adhere to standards and best practices in the field of cultural heritage digitization which are established by the Federal Agency Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). These standards help maintain consistency and authenticity across our Digital Collections program.
Once materials are digitized by the Digital Production Center’s staff, they are included in the Duke Digital Repository as part of Duke University Libraries and Duke University’s digital preservation strategy. Please see Duke University Libraries’ Digital Preservation Policy regarding the long-term preservation of digital assets.
Working with the Digital Production Center
Duke University students, faculty, staff and researchers outside of Duke can submit a remote digitization request for materials within the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. See more information about placing a Scanning and Digitization request.
If you are interested in digitization and want to work with us, vacancies and student opportunities are posted on the Duke University Libraries’ Jobs page.
We collaborate with colleagues at other colleges, universities, and research libraries to share best practices. If you are interested in touring the Digital Production Center or learning more about our practices and equipment, contact Giao Luong Baker, Digital Production Services Manager.
Staff and Location
The Digital Production Center is located at Lower Level 1 of Perkins Library in Perkins 013 (on the same level as the Link and next to Conservation Services). View the Digital Collections Services department page for more information.
Information updated February 2025
