There’s the Epson 12000XL scanner. It comes in 2 models; one is just flatbed and the other can do slides and negatives. But flatbed scanning can be very slow especially at 600 dpi. For the same price or less you could probably setup a camera copy stand with LED lights that would enable quicker capture although you might only get 400 dpi, which I think is actually acceptable for text. A Canon EOS 5DS DSLR will give you 50mp.

Jenn Morris
Digital Imaging Manager
MIT Libraries, Distinctive Collections
617.253.7286
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On Jun 22, 2020, at 7:51 PM, Will Martin <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

We just got a grant from the NEH as part of the CARES act.  As part of it, we'll be scanning a whole bunch of stuff, such as evidentiary documents from some of the Nuremberg trials, plus the personal papers of an early 20th-century senator from our state.  The grant is covering rather more people than we usually have scanning documents, so we've developed a need for a few more scanners.

The material is almost entirely text.  Our archivist thinks that 600 DPI scans are probably sufficient for that purpose.  Many of the documents are fragile, so sheet-fed scanners are (sadly) not an option.  We are already equipped with some very fancy high-end scanners that can handle anything that actually needs high-resolution scanning, or materials like microfilm/slides/etc.

So what I need are some decent-quality flatbed scanners.  Does anyone have any recommendations, or things to look out for?

Will Martin

Head of Digital Initiatives, Systems and Services
Chester Fritz Library
University of North Dakota