The announcement emphasizes the need for cost-effective approaches. How will the Commission evaluate this standard?
The Commission is aware that costs for digitizing will vary depending on the collection and its condition. In the application, provide enough details so that reviewers and the Commission can evaluate the per-item cost for the project. While these considerations differ from collection to collection, a total cost of $1 – $3 per page is feasible in many cases. Recent grantees are finding that digitization of microfilm uses less staff time for quality control than paper. For large-format items and photographs, per-item costs may be higher, but the focus should be on access rather the preservation or reproduction-quality reformatting. Remember the work plan needs to present the costs for each stage of the project. While the Commission will consider digitization projects that involve audiovisual records, we have found that these projects tend not to be competitive because the digitization process for audio and video is so expensive. You may wish to consider a Detailed Processing grant for th
