How do I decide which paper records are worth digitizing and which to leave alone?

Digitizing is an investment of staff time, equipment, and storage, so the goal is not to scan everything. It is to scan the records where conversion clearly pays off and to leave the rest in the format that already serves them best. A short, consistent set of criteria keeps the decision objective rather than ad hoc.

Start with value and use

Ask why each record exists and how often it is needed.

• Access demand. Records that are requested often, shared across teams, or needed for time-sensitive responses (such as FOIA or audits) gain the most from digitization.
• Business and legal value. Records that document rights, obligations, or accountability justify the cost of high-quality conversion.
• Low-value or transitory paper. Duplicates, drafts, and reference copies with little ongoing use are often better candidates for retention-based disposition than for scanning.

Weigh retention and risk

Match the effort to how long the record must live and what it protects.

• Retention period. Long-retention and permanent records benefit from accessible, preservation-quality copies. Short-retention records may simply age out before scanning would ever pay off.
• Legal admissibility. If a digitized copy will replace the paper original, confirm your organization’s policy allows it and that you can document a trustworthy, repeatable process. Some originals (notarized, sealed, or legally significant documents) may need to be retained regardless.
• Privacy and sensitivity. Records with personal or sensitive data require controlled handling whether on paper or scanned, so factor security into the decision.

Consider condition and cost

Fragile, oversized, or bound materials raise the cost and complexity of capture. Weigh that against the preservation benefit: digitization can reduce handling of fragile originals, but poor-quality scans can create a false sense of preservation. Following recognized image-quality guidance helps ensure a scan is fit for its intended use.

A simple rule of thumb

Prioritize records that are high-use, high-value, and long-retention, and that you are confident can be scanned to an acceptable quality. Leave alone records that are low-use, near the end of their retention, or that must be preserved in original form. Document your criteria so the same logic applies across the collection.

For broader guidance, see the digitization and imaging topic hub.