Experts in digitizing large-volume book collections.
In 2025 IDI scanned 60,000 complete books in just 6 weeks!
Preserve & Digitize
Sophisticated conservation-grade handling for rare & valuable materials
Trained & Ready for Every Project
Our book scanning teams are trained to methodically handle collections from any industry, volume, and medium. All handling specifications are always followed with the highest standards of care. You can be sure that your valuables are safe with us.
Our Book Scanning Services
Sizes & Conditions
We scan all size book and bound-materials, from pocket-size paperbacks to enormous one-of-a kind manuscripts in almost any condition.
Delivery & Security
Our secure company-owned van is used for transporting with a strict chain of custody protocols through the entire process. Materials are securely packaged in designated crush-proof and waterproof Pelican cases. For clients who wish to ship their own materials, we provide shipping labels at a cost.
Returns
For large volume book scanning projects, we offer the option of destructive services and can provide certificate of destruction.
Output File Types
We offer different file types based on your needs. Our most popular output is text-searchable PDF. We also covert to e-Reader EPUB and MOBI, web-accessible digital libraries, text-only versions for analysis or republishing, as well as print-ready files for print-on-demand.
Security Compliance
IDI holds the highest standards for security compliance. We are compliant in SAS-70, SSAE-16, SSAE-18, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and HIPAA compliant record scanning.
Converting your books to digital format will solve
many problems.
Deterioration & Preservation
Problem:
Books deteriorate over time due to paper acidity, environmental factors, handling damage, and natural aging.
Solution:
Digital preservation creates a permanent record that doesn’t degrade, capturing content in its current condition before further deterioration.
Limited Accessibility
Problem:
Physical books can only be in one place at one time, limiting access.
Solution:
Digital copies enable simultaneous access by multiple users regardless of location.
Storage Constraints
Problem:
Physical collections require significant space and controlled environmental conditions.
Solution:
Digital libraries require only data storage, eliminating physical storage limitations.
Search Limitations
Problem:
Finding specific information in physical books is time-consuming and relies on indexes/tables of contents.
Solution:
Full-text searchability allows instant location of any word or phrase across entire collections.
Fragility of Rare Materials
Problem:
Valuable or historical books face damage risks with every handling.
Solution:
Digital surrogates allow content utilization without physical handling.
Book Scanning for Many Industries
Rare & Antique Books
Preserving Literary Treasures, Enhancing Timeless Access
Transform your irreplaceable rare and antique volumes into meticulous digital facsimiles that capture every historical detail while protecting these fragile treasures from handling damage.
Ideal For
Rare book libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, antiquarian dealers, and institutions seek to balance the preservation of irreplaceable literary artifacts with the desire to share these treasures with researchers and the public without risking the physical volumes.
Law & Finance
Secure Preservation, Instant Retrieval
Transform your critical legal and financial archives into a secure, searchable digital repository that maintains document integrity while dramatically enhancing accessibility and compliance.
Ideal For
Law firms, financial institutions, corporate legal departments, accounting firms, compliance offices, insurance companies, and organizations requiring secure preservation of critical legal and financial records with stringent confidentiality and accessibility needs.
Education
Transforming Learning Resources, Expanding Access
Convert valuable educational materials into dynamic digital resources that enhance learning while preserving every instructional element.
Ideal For
Educational institutions, school districts, publishers, curriculum developers, homeschool programs, tutoring centers, and organizations seeking to modernize learning materials while preserving their instructional integrity and extending their useful life in digital formats.
FAQs
Capacity for Large Volume Projects: Yes, we regularly complete large and complex projects. We have digitized full HR archives for major pharmaceutical companies and are a long‑standing vendor for Princeton University, where we have completed multiple collections including their endowment files. We also support publishers such as Cengage and Adam Matthews on projects for organizations like The National WWII Museum, and we have worked with the American Antiquarian Society for more than twenty years. High‑volume work is part of our everyday operations.
Document Scanning and Digitization Services: We work with almost every type of document. This includes books, correspondence, meeting minutes, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, and other common materials. We also handle more specialized items such as maps, architectural drawings, microfilm and microfiche, and a wide range of multimedia including photographs, slides, negatives, 8mm and 16mm film, VHS, Mini DV, audio cassettes, and reel‑to‑reel recordings. If it needs to be digitized, we can almost always accommodate it.
These items require specialized equipment. For rare or tightly bound books that cannot be opened 180 degrees, we use V-cradle scanners that capture high-resolution images while the book is only partially open.
For oversized items like blueprints or broadsheet journals found inside books, we use large-format overhead cameras to ensure every detail is captured without stress to the paper.
A standard image scan is just a picture of the page—the computer doesn’t “read” the words. We apply OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to your book scans, which adds a layer of invisible text behind the image. This turns your book into a “smart” document where you can use Ctrl+F to find specific keywords, names, or dates instantly.
It depends on the method you choose. We offer two primary types of book scanning:
- Non-Destructive Scanning: We use specialized overhead “planetary” scanners and V-shaped cradles that hold the book at a gentle angle. This is “white-glove” treatment—the spine is never pressed flat, and no pages are removed.
- Destructive Scanning: If preservation isn’t a priority, we can cut the spine (disbinding) and use high-speed sheet-fed scanners. This is faster and more cost-effective but permanently alters the book.
We provide files in whatever format best fits your workflow. The most common are searchable PDFs, TIFFs, and JPEGs. We can also provide data in XML or CSV formats for easy import into your existing Document Management System (DMS).
Yes. We offer “Scan-on-Demand” services. If you urgently need a file that is currently in our queue, our team will locate it, scan it immediately, and securely email or upload it to you within hours.
We offer three options: we can securely return your documents in their original order, provide long-term archival storage, or perform certified shredding with a Certificate of Destruction once you have verified your digital files.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that converts the text in a digital image into machine-readable data. Every document we scan is processed with OCR, allowing you to search your entire archive by keywords, names, or invoice numbers in seconds.
