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THE WITS DIGITISATION CENTRE:
SERVICING THE NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSITY
Wits is a key player in planning and executing digitisation projects, both at an institutional
level and collaboratively (locally and internationally) and the Wits Library is actively
working to provide access, in digital form, to its intellectual, social, economic and creative
activity and the incredible cultural and scientific heritage at Wits so as to boost research
opportunities and support teaching and learning.
Through the Wits Digitisation Centre, the Library provides the infrastructure, expertise,
technical capacity, use of international standards and best practice, and state-of-the-art
equipment to assist Schools, Faculties and the Wits community more widely, to undertake
retrospective digitisation projects. We are able to work with a number of physical formats,
including: loose documents, bound items, journals, books and oversized items such as maps
and plans, etc.
The Wits Digitisation Centre understands that digitisation projects are complex and we have
therefore built a blend of skills ranging from project management to specialist technical
knowledge. In addition we provide expertise on the handling of fragile manuscripts and
documents; the preparation of physical originals; and content selection, preparation and
description.
The Wits Digitisation Centre provides onsite advice for those considering digitisation,
including:
 The pros and cons of outsourcing
 Essential instructions, processes, specific outputs and quality control procedures
expected from vendors (outsourcing is a viable option for many aspects of
digitisation);
 Budgeting and costing issues
 Long-term preservation issues
 File formats
 Metadata creation
 Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
The Centre is housed in the William Cullen Library and is a well–designed, custom renovated
and fully-functional digitisation space.
For our Rights and Reproduction guidelines see:
http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/docs/RightsandReproductionGuidelines.pdf
For our Reproduction Fees Schedule see:
http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/docs/ReproductionFees2014.pdf
For our Reproduction Application Form see:
http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/docs/ReproductionApplicationForm.pdf
For more information contact:
Tel: +27 11 717 1940
Michele Pickover ([email protected]) and/or
Gabriele Mohale ([email protected])