The Fill Out Fund was created to respond to the tension between “Over-the-Counter” (OTC) patron reproduction requests and the requirements of Houghton Library. In the earliest stages of program, the library often fielded requests for the partial digitization of items in the collection when the library for both preservation and curatorial reasons preferred to digitize the whole object. The Fill Out Fund was created to bridge this gap and make it possible to scan the entire item, deposit it in the digital repository and make it available to the wider public.
This document provides guidelines for “filling out” orders to create coherent objects or series of items complete digital objects in collections as part of OTC processing to meet both the requirements of the reader and the needs of the library. Although the decision to apply the Fill Out Fund is decided on a case-by-case basis, this document should assist in determining when to apply money from the fund and when to bill the reader.
Five guiding policies guidelines for using the fund:
- Staff can apply the fill out fund up to $500. Any amounts beyond that must be approved by the DPMDigital Collections Program Manager.
- In the instance that patrons want more than 50% of an item, they are responsible for digitizing the whole item.
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- If applying the Fill-Out Fund to an order will dramatically increase the turnaround time and the patron cannot wait for the images, only digitize what the patron is requesting and do not deposit incomplete object.
Bound Material
This guideline is influenced by two factors: curatorial requirements and equipment concerns. Curatorial staff has recommended that we capture all blanks in bound material, including bound correspondence, which if loose would not otherwise be scanned. Likewise, the scanners at Imaging Services D-20 lab (reference scanners), require that both recto and verso of bound material to be scanned. The resulting costs can either be significant or inconsequential depending on the amount of blanks. The library should absorb these extra costs when they become notable. (Note: “large” and “small” are context and object specific concepts.)
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Reference Scan: Use Houghton Fill-Out Fund
“Small" number of blanks.
Studio: Pass on cost to patron.
Quick scan: Pass on cost to patron.
Loose Material
Guidelines with regard to the digitizing the versos of material vary depending on the genre and type of digitization.
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- Small Quantity: pass on cost to reader
- Large Quantity: check with DPM Digital Collections Program Manager about fill out fund
Reference scans: pass on cost to reader
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Reference Scan: Apply 50% rule. If patron wants less than 50%, use Fill-Out fund to cover the remainder of the folders. If patron wants more than 50% consider billing patron for whole work. (If the amount the patron must pay is exorbitant, and it is unlikely that the patron will not pay for all, process as a “PDF, Non-Deposit” order.)
Filling In Gaps
In the case that a significant portion of a collection or a portion of a codex is requested by a patron, use the Houghton Fill-Out Fund to digitize the remainder of the collection or item.
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