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Digitization on Demand

How to request digitization

Have you ever wanted to see a handful of folders in a collection at the Archives of American Art, but you couldn't find the time to come to our DC reading room?  Or maybe you live far away from Washington, and the expense of traveling here is beyond what you can manage?  Then the Archives of American Art’s Digitization on Demand service is for YOU!

To take advantage of Digitization on Demand:

Screenshot illustrating how to select checkboxes and request digitization
  • Go to the Search and Browse interface
  • Find the folder or folders that interest you in any collection with a finding aid (there are currently more than 1,400 collections with finding aids on our website!)
  • Click the checkbox(es) corresponding to the folder(s) you would like to have digitized
  • Click the “Reproduction Request” button
  • If you’re not yet registered in our Aeon research request system, create an account (link opens in new window)
  • Follow the steps in our online order form and submit your request

What happens next? 

  • Our reference staff and archivists will review your order and you'll soon hear back from us asking for your payment of $37.50 per folder *  or $40.00 per reel of microfilm.
  • We’ll deliver a PDF of the full contents of the folder(s) you requested within six weeks of payment.*
  • We will ultimately put this digitized material online, linked to its appropriate finding aid, so anyone in the world can access.
  • We’ll use the reproduction statistics from Digitization on Demand to help inform how we prioritize collections for full digitization.

* Materials that may not be eligible for our Digitization on Demand service, may incur additional charges, and/or require additional time to fulfill include, but are not limited to:

  • Bound materials such as scrapbooks
  • Published materials such as books
  • Slides, negatives, and glass plate negatives
  • Oversized items
  • Fragile materials
  • Restricted materials

Interested in reproductions from collections without a finding aid? 

Use the “Request a Reproduction” link from the collection description on our website to request reproductions from collections lacking folder-level description. Our reference staff will work with you to determine whether these materials are eligible for PDF delivery.