I am not referring to igitalizing the images, including scanner. I am referring to transferring data from floppy discs (5.25 to 3.5, to CD-R, to DVD-R). And you're right I never worked for government agency BUT I've been in microfilm business long time to know what you are talking about. The large scanners are quite pricey to try to scan in bigger than 8x14. Best to microfilm these oversized books first. Then from the microfilm, you can scan images to CD-R or DVD-R with galling ease. The Family History Library has 3 such Microfilm to CD scanners for the public now. Best thing that have ever happened! Saved $$ when photocopying film to paper. David [email protected] wrote: > > [email protected] writes: > > > Ever heard of data migration? As new media formats come available, > > the data should be copied to them. > > > > David, in an ideal world that's what would happen. I take it you have never > worked for a government agency. At the archives for which I work we get by on > a shoe string budget that covers building maintenance, utilities and salaries. > Monies for equipment comes from outside our budget and it rarely happens. > The whole world of digitizing was about to pass us by. We couldn't get funds to > buy a $500 scanner, not because thecounty had no money but because it was > deemed unnecessary. The scanner that we use at the archives was purchased for us > by a "friends group" to digitize our print, negative and slide collection. We > do use it to scan douments also. We are limited as to what we can digitize > as the scanner will not scan larger than 8.5 X 14. Much of our collection is > in the form of large minute books. We continue to microfilm so that we have a > backup of all the records that we store. >