McGill To Digitize Collections

McGill University, Montreal, has acquired a Kirtas APT BookScan 2400 and will process “between 100–200 books per week and more if additional resources become available,” according to Janine Schmidt, director of libraries. The library, which began digitizing books in 1996, will only scan books in the public domain.

Schmidt said McGill would take advantage of its special collections, which include 300,000 titles in Canadian history, literature, philosophy, and the history of the book. Beyond what is produced via digitization on demand, Schmidt said the library would focus on special collections and support of research projects, especially in the humanities. Digitized files will be made available through the library's online catalog, and books can be printed on demand through major online retailers.