Large Format Digitization with New Equipment and New Workflows in the Swiss National Library

The Swiss National Library (SNL) operates a variety of different digitization projects for different kinds of materials. Besides newspapers, journals and monographies the SNL holds unique collections of writers’ legacy and a great number of objects like posters, plans and drawings. Posters, plans and drawing are most of the time of a larger format than the other objects. The digitization service has a duty to digitize them all. This paper shows the quest to find and utilize equipment large enough to digitize objects that exceed the usual sizes of books and newspapers. This is a case study of the Swiss National Library, and its vendors and equipment are named. It shows the process of getting new equipment and installing new workflows in the SNL for a specific use case of this institution. The SNL does not provide an assessment of the market or any statement on other brands or vendors. This paper is not a reinforcement of any brand or vendor but solely states the choices the SNL has made for herself. It is not to be read as advertising or recommendation of any kind.