The Digital Production Group of the University of Virginia Library is one of the primary caretakers responsible for the transformation of the Library’s rare and unique materials to digital formats. Using specialized equipment and careful handling of materials, we digitize such varied objects as rare books, manuscripts, maps, and other artifactual objects.
The Digital Production Group’s primary mission is to convert these rare materials to digital formats that the UVA community can use to support their research and instructional needs. Our secondary mission is to use these digital surrogates to highlight and promote the library’s rare materials in such a way that more users can gain access and discover them. We will always endeavor to deliver materials to anyone who requests them. There will be times, however, when the fragility of the original will render it impossible to digitize.
Who we serve
Some examples of our UVA users are:
- UVA faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff.
- Units that are affiliated with the University including the Provost’s Office, Alumni Hall, News Services, the Astronomy Department, the Woodson Institute, and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
- Groups that are closely associated with the library including The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH) and the Claude Moore Health Science Library.
- Grant projects generated by Special Collections and other units within the library.
We also serve researchers and groups outside of the university community such as:
- Independent researchers
- Publishers
- Photo journalists and photo researchers
- Organizations (such as the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the Albemarle County Historical Society and others)