The following is provided by Ancestry.com at eventbrite.com.
Ancestry.com is excited to provide FGS conference attendees the opportunity to have their family records scanned, for free, on high–speed scanners.
The scanners will be available for up to 15-minute scanning sessions on Thursday, September 3, through Saturday, September 5, during the exhibit hall hours.
Scanning-session signs-ups will open each morning—sign up Thursday morning for a Thursday time slot, Friday morning for a Friday time slot, and so on. The scanning machines and sign-ups will be located in the Toltec Lobby registration area of the Statehouse Convention Center.
Will you be bringing items to scan? Please help us plan accordingly by registering here. NOTE: You’ll need to sign up at the conference for a specific scanning time. Registering here helps us plan for the event. Because we anticipate high demand for the scanners, sign ups will be based on a first come, first served basis.
Details about Scanning
- Ancestry.com imaging specialists will operate the scanners
- Ancestry.com is bringing two scanners to the conference: a high–speed, loose–leaf scanner that will scan documents and photographs in full color and a planetary scanner for books and more fragile items
- Attendees will be able to scan about 100 family photographs or documents during a 15–minute session
- Scanned images will be saved to flash drives (provided at no cost by Ancestry.com) and given to attendees. (Note: Scanned images will NOT be uploaded to the Ancestry.com website by Ancestry.com personnel.)
- Due to anticipated demand, conference attendees will be able to sign up for only one scanning session during the conference
- There is always a possibility that damage to older, more fragile documents may occur during the scanning process.
Ancestry.com urges patrons to use their best judgment when choosing documents to be scanned.
This is a wonderful idea! Taking it even further, local historical societies could offer something like this at a small fee to help offset the cost of buying their own equipment.
The Town of Windham Historical Society in Windham, NY will be doing something similar during this year’s Archival Day, using one laptop and a flatbed scanner. Our event is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009, and will be held at the Windham Civic Center from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.
We are asking the public to bring in old postcards, photographs, stereoviews and letters to be scanned. All documents and pictures must pertain to Big Hollow, Brooksburg, East Windham, Hensonville, Maplecrest, North Settlement, Union Society or Windham, and should be no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches.
The scanning process takes less than a minute per image and does not harm the original document, which will immediately be returned to its owner. We will not post any images on our Facebook page, nor reproduce them in print, unless the owner signs a release form giving us permission to do so, in which case full credit will be given to that person.