Why We Digitize
There are two main reasons that archivists digitize photographs—preservation and access—ensuring the image is protected and saved, and making sure people can view it. Because of this, the archivist creates two digital copies. The preservation copy (TIFF) exists as a high quality duplicate of the original. This helps ensure that the original will be preserved for much longer, as the digital image can be viewed instead so the original won’t be repeatedly handled, which risks damage, destruction or loss.
The access copy (JPEG) is a lower resolution copy that is more convenient for providing quick access to the image. It is these copies that are uploaded to the archives database, Quest. Access copies are also easier to send and use in social media posts or online exhibit (like this one).
How We Prioritize What to Digitize
There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what to digitize first. In 2025, the Archives and Records Officer performed an audit of the holdings at the City of Coquitlam Archives to get a complete overview of what fonds and collections contain visual media that needs to be digitized, the extent of that media, and in what format.
Photographs come in a variety of formats—print, negative, and positive (slides)—and each format takes a different amount of time to digitize. Print is the quickest, with negatives being slower, and positives taking quite a long time due to the format. Photos that are already digital will also be uploaded—once accurate descriptions have been created.
As a result of the audit results, it was decided the first priority was given to the smaller collections, especially those that contained print photographs. These could be digitized quickly and create a sense of momentum.
Other priorities included factors such as location. For example, did the collections depict geographic areas of Coquitlam that were not well documented?