Usefulness of Digitization

The inherent limitations of digitizing objects are not always apparent to Digital Humanists beforehand, and oftentimes it is only after the fact when shortcomings of recording specific aspects become evident. While the practice of digitization is able to capture qualities of shape, size, and color quite well, it falls strikingly short at conveying others such as smell, sound, and weight. This is partly due to the somewhat subjective nature of those characteristics, and yet other qualities; like texture, seem to get lost in the middle ground between observation and imagination. Additionally, OCR software can be prone to mistakes and still requires the oversight of a human to make corrections.

There are many forms of digitization which can be used for a number of varied applications throughout the field, as each artifact often necessitates a slightly different approach. Photography, being the most common example, brings a level of consistency to groups of objects which may be inherently in-consistent with one another. Objects that are in danger of degradation or destruction are another obvious choice, and detailed 3D scanning is one of the most comprehensive forms of digitization we have for this. Digital Humanists should be wary, however, of the costs outweighing the potential benefits, and should focus on digitizing objects that will generate interest.

When utilized correctly, digitization should not act as a substitute for traditional museum collections, but rather enhance those operations by seeking new audiences and making discoveries with new technologies. It should actively try to close the gap between individuals and institutions, while highlighting the limitations and potential biases that may exist. Online image databases certainly make our access to photographs much easier, however it should be remembered that almost no digitized image is presented to the public without at least minor post-processing corrections. Our choices over what and what-not to digitally preserve may have unforeseen consequences for the future of social justice, and Digital Humanists should treat that responsibility with great respect.