Digitization for Public Libraries and Archives.
A community's memory should be accessible, not fragile and hidden
Local-history film, oral-history recordings, photograph collections, and one-of-a-kind community records, converted to preservation-grade digital files by our own team in Orange, California. Never subcontracted, never sent overseas, and across a million reels handled, never lost.
A dedicated department for institutions since 2001.
Pasadena, Burbank & Santa Fe Springs
The Pasadena, Burbank, and Santa Fe Springs public libraries have trusted their collections to Legacy Digital. Your archive gets the same careful, in-house handling.
Pasadena Public Library · Burbank Public Library · Santa Fe Springs Public Library · and institutions across Southern California
The Library Archive Problem
Special collections hold the only copy of a community's history, and they keep decaying on the shelf while patrons increasingly expect to find them online.
One-of-a-kind and irreplaceable
Local-history film, donated home movies, and community recordings often exist nowhere else. If the original is lost, the record is gone.
Formats no one can play
Reel film, obsolete video tape, and audio cassettes require equipment most libraries no longer keep, so the content sits unheard and unseen.
Patrons expect digital access
Researchers, families, and students want to find and use collections online, not travel to a reading room and thread a projector.
Limited staff and equipment
Digitizing at scale, safely, is beyond what most library teams can do in-house without diverting staff from everything else.
What We Digitize for Libraries and Archives
One vendor for the whole collection, with a single chain of custody and organized, catalog-ready delivery.
Put the Collection to Work
Digitizing is not only preservation. Once a collection is digital and searchable, it becomes a living part of the library.
Online local-history portals
Make community film, photos, and oral histories browsable and searchable for patrons anywhere, any time.
Digital exhibits and programs
Build anniversary exhibits, city-history programs, and classroom resources from footage that has never been shown.
Grant deliverables
Preservation grants often require a digitized, access-ready result. We deliver files and documentation that fit the deliverable.
Patron and research requests
Answer reference and research requests instantly from digital files instead of pulling and threading fragile originals.
Why Libraries Choose Legacy Digital
Everything stays in-house
Your collection is digitized by our own team in Orange, California. We never subcontract and never send an archive out of the United States.
Fragile, one-of-a-kind handling
Irreplaceable materials are handled by hand, item by item, cleaned and cared for, never run unattended through a high-speed feeder.
Chain of custody you can audit
Every reel, tape, and box is logged at intake and tracked through the lab. Across more than a million reels handled, we have never lost an item.
Catalog-ready delivery
Files are named and organized to match your finding aids, so the digital collection stays searchable in your catalog or DAM.
A pilot before you commit
For large collections we can run a pilot batch so your archivist approves quality and workflow before the full project.
Preservation and access copies
Keep high-quality masters for preservation and lighter files for everyday patron access, from one digitization pass.
Trusted by Southern California Libraries
The same lab that handles irreplaceable studio and university work brings the same care to your community's collection.
How a Library Project Runs
- 1
Survey and inventory
We assess the collection, formats, and volume, then scope the work and give you a clear, itemized quote and timeline.
- 2
Pilot batch
Start with a pilot so your archivist signs off on quality, handling, and metadata before the full run.
- 3
Digitize with custody tracking
Items are logged, handled by hand, digitized in-house at preservation quality, and tracked through every step.
- 4
Deliver, catalog-ready
Files delivered on server media or drives, named and organized to drop straight into your catalog or portal.
The lab libraries trust when the material is the only copy that exists.
In-house in Orange, California since 2001. Never subcontracted, never sent overseas, never lost.
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind every transfer we perform. If you're unhappy with the quality of our work, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it right, at no additional charge. And if another professional service can produce a visibly better transfer from the same originals, we'll match their quality or refund what you paid us for the affected transfer.
See Our Full Satisfaction Guarantee →Library Digitization Questions
How is a library project priced?
Collections are custom-quoted after we survey them. Per-item media rates apply as a baseline, and we itemize everything so budgeting and grant reporting are clear. Request a consultation for a scoped quote.
Can you work within a preservation grant's requirements?
Yes. We provide itemized quotes and deliver access-ready files with documentation, and we can phase the work to fit a grant's scope and timeline.
How do you handle fragile, one-of-a-kind materials?
By hand, item by item. Materials are cleaned and cared for, never fed through high-speed equipment, and tracked at every step under a full chain of custody.
Can you deliver files ready for our catalog or online portal?
Yes. We name and organize files to match your finding aids and structure, so the digital collection is searchable and retrievable in your catalog or digital-asset system.
Do you provide both preservation and access copies?
Yes. From a single digitization pass we can deliver high-quality preservation masters plus lighter access files for everyday patron use.
Do you offer pickup for local libraries?
Yes. For Southern California institutions we offer local pickup and delivery. Libraries anywhere in the country can ship to us with arranged, secure logistics.
Other questions? Call us at (888) 405-2685. A real person answers, 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week.
Other Institutions We Serve
Every institution type has its own archive challenge. Explore the one that fits, or start at the institutional overview.
Your Community's History Is Decaying on the Shelf.
Request a consultation. We survey the collection, scope the work, and give you a clear plan and quote, with the track record to back it up.
202 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865
Walk-ins Mon to Fri, 8AM to 4PM
Evenings and weekends by appointment
Phones answered 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week
