Digitisation and Microfilming Service

The Worcestershire Record Office has been undertaking high quality digitisation and microfilming work for many years.

Our experienced and skilled staff provide a bespoke service to both individuals and institutions all around the world.

• Why Choose to Digitise or Microfilm?
• Why Choose Our Digitisation and Microfilming Service?
• Using Our Service

Why Choose to Digitise or Microfilm ?

One of the main reasons for making microfilm or digitised copies of documents is for preservation. A high quality, durable copy will reduce the necessity for the original to be consulted, thereby protecting it from damage. Sometimes the original is in a form that cannot be used as it currently stands, such as a glass plate negative, and digitisation is the only way of making it usable.

At the Worcestershire History Centre, most of our resources are on microfilm and are self-service. The public can consult parish registers, wills and newspapers, to name a but a few, without needing to ask staff to produce the resources. Microfilming therefore also saves time for both staff and customer.

A particular benefit of digitisation, is the ability to manipulate the image. You can incorporate the image into a document, or enhance it to make it more readable, more aesthetically pleasing, etc. You can also publish it online. Online resources can be accessed at any time from anywhere with access to the Internet.

Why Choose Our Digitisation and Microfilming Service? 

Worcestershire Record Office’s skilled Microfilming and Digitisation team have years of experience. As a Record Office, we know the unique value of documents and treat all records undergoing microfilming and digitisation with the utmost care. While the records are with us, they are stored under appropriate atmospheric conditions and levels of security in our strongrooms.

Valuable Estate Map Book

We also use high quality equipment, such as a Congress II microfilming camera producing approximately 700 high-definition black and white images on 30m roll-film. Digital capture is by way of a Phase One P30 camera system allowing us to produce high-resolution image files up to 92 MB in size in 24 bit colour. Both systems are designed to give maximum protection to materials while being photographed.

We have been used by a variety of clients, both on an individual and corporate basis. Here are a few examples:

• University of Birmingham
• Worcester Cathedral Library
• Staffordshire Archive Service
• Herefordshire Record Office
• Gordon Russell Trust
• Buckinghamshire Record Office
• Elgar Birthplace Museum

Using Our Service

• If you require large quantities of records digitised or microfilmed, then please contact John France, our Senior Microfilmer and Digitiser, who will be glad to discuss your specific needs. He can be contacted via recordoffice@worcestershire.gov.uk or
  01905 766351.