Many people choose to have archival materials digitised. Not only do the resulting scans facilitate research, they can also save you a trip to our reading room.
With our ‘Scanning on Demand’ service, the Zeeland Archives offer you a way to obtain scans, free of charge. Using our online catalogue, you can submit your request to have the documents of your choice digitised.
1. Find the right archive and inventory number in our online catalogue. The requested inventory number will be digitised in its entirety.
2. Open the detailed description of the requested inventory number and click on the ‘Scanning on Demand’ button (CD icon) in the top right corner.
3. Fill out the requested information and click ‘Send’. Your request has now been submitted and you will receive a confirmation email.
4. Prior to the digitisation process, an employee of the Zeeland Archives will evaluate the condition of the materials. If the material state is found unsuitable for scanning, we will inform your via email.
5. If your request is approved, your scans will be made available online within approximately three weeks. Once they are accessible, you will be notified via email. The scans are now freely available for everyone and can also be downloaded.
6. Every week, we can process up to 35 Scanning on Demand requests. Once the 35th request has been submitted, the Scanning on Demand option is automatically disabled. On the first day of the following week, the option to submit requests is made available again. In order to offer the opportunity to request free scans to as many people as possible, we can approve no more than three requests per person, per week.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the Scanning on Demand button is missing, that means the inventory number in question is not available for free digitisation. This applies, for instance, to charters (parchment deeds with seals) and archival material that is not (yet) open to the public.
In cases such as these, you can ask for further information and advice using the envelop button in the top right corner. Perhaps there is another way to obtain scans or information. It may also be possible to come and see the materials yourself in our reading room.
Not all archival material is available for Scanning on Demand. In order to be digitised, the requested materials have to meet a few demands. They must be:
- over 75 years old
- in good material condition
- of manageable size
- free of personal data of people who may still be alive
Just because it is not possible to scan a document, doesn’t mean that it is not possible to view the inventory number. When the documents are public and in good material state it is always possible to view them in the reading room.
If a Scanning on Demand request has been rejected, it does not automatically mean that there are no other research options. Provided that the material condition of the piece is sufficient, and that it is open to the public, you can visit our reading room to view it in person.
More about the Archive Inventories
Learn more about the functions within the Archive Inventories
/plan-je-bezoek/studiezaal/uitleg-over-de-archiefinventarissen/