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Multimedia & Digitization

Stations

The Freedman Center for Digital Scholarship is composed of different types of workstations, each with its own features and capabilities. For general word processing and Internet access there are workstations located throughout the library as well as the laptop kiosk.

High end machines generally used for:

High end machines generally used:

  • Audio/Video Digitization
  • Audio/Video Editing
  • Audio/Video Post Production/Authoring
  • 3D Modeling & Animation
  • Photogrammetry
  • VR Production

Medium end machines generally used for:

  • Scanning
  • Website Development
  • Desktop Publishing
  • Presentation Development
  • Image Editing (Photoshop/Illustrator)

Medium end machines generally used for:

  • Viewing and Scanning of Microfilm and Microfiche

A monitor (no computer) for the ability to watch.  Please bring your own headphones.

  • VHS (NTSC, PAL, & SECAM)
  • DVD (NTSC & PAL - any region)
  • Blu-ray

Digitization Hardware

At the Freedman Center patrons can digitize from almost any consumer format from the past 100 years. Hardware is available at stations for CWRU patron use.  Please use your CaseID to checkout a station key at the KSL Service Desk or contact us to talk about your projects and needs so that we may better assist you.

What can you digitize?

For Audio/Visual materials you can digitize from the following sources. A/V capture is a real-time process, so if a video is 1 hour long it will take 1 hour to “play” into the computer. If something isn’t listed let us know!

Step by Step Instructions on our Audio Capture LibGuide

Step by Step Instructions on our Video Capture LibGuide

  • VHS Tapes (NTSC, PAL, & SECAM)
  • Betmax (Regular and Super)
  • 8mm Video (Regular, High 8, Digital 8)
  • Super VHS
  • VHS-C
  • Laserdisk
  • DVD (NTSC & PAL - any region)
  • Blue-ray
  • MiniDV & FullSizeDV (NTSC & PAL)
  • HD MiniDV
  • uMatic
  • 8mm & Super 8mm Film (silent) Professional Digitization Service
  • 16mm Film (sound or silent) Professional Digitization Service

Step by step instructions on our Scanning LibGuide

  • Flatbed Scanners
  • Slide & Negative Scanning
    • Medium Format
    • 35mm
    • Strip Film
    • APS cartridges
    • Large Format Transparencies (on a flatbed)
  • Sheet Fed Scanner

Self-Service Digitization

As The Freedman Center is a self-service center, almost all digitization can be done by patrons in the center (with the exception of Professional Digitization described below). 
Self Service Digitization includes:

  • Video tapes (VHS, VHS-C, Betamax) domestic and international.
  • DVD and Bluray (SD quality only)
  • Audio tapes
  • Records (33,45, & 78)
  • Print materials: including sheetfed paper, books, and photographs
  • Microfilm, microfiche, and microcards

For more information contact the Freedman Center at freedmancenter@case.edu

Professional Digitization Services

While the activities in the Freedman Center are self-service, the Freedman Center also offers a range of professional “drop off” digitization services for the support of research and scholarship projects of current CWRU Faculty, Staff, and Students. In these circumstances, and under certain conditions, we can perform the process of digitization of analog media for you.

Note: Post-processing (modifying digitized materials), such as cropping and enhancements, are not available as a service. Tutorials are available on each station to guide you through  the process of performing these processes yourself using technology in the Freedman Center.  You may also schedule an appointment by email freedmancenter@case.edu.

Copyright Restrictions

Only non-commercial media will be accepted for professional digitization requests. The Freedman Center will not digitize material that is commercial, either in full or excerpt (even when fair-use might apply). If you are looking to digitize copyrighted material with permission from the copyright holder, please consult with Jared Bendis, the Creative New Media Officer (freedmancenter@case.edu).

Professional Digitization Options

These services may be requested by current CWRU Faculty, Staff, and Students working on research or scholarship projects at CWRU.  Professional digitization services include:

  • the digitization of 8mm film, super 8mm film, 16mm film (with or without sound), and open reel audio, 35mm film
  • large format flat scanning scanning (up to 36”x52”)
  • book scanning
  • bulk slide scanning
  • negative scanning
  • uMatic, VHS, S-VHS, 8mm tape (including digital 8 and high 8)
  • Mini and DV tapes (SD and HD)

Professional Digitization is free of charge for CWRU students and faculty for the purpose of research and scholarship projects.

How to make a digitization request

Please make a request by completing the Professional Digitization Request Form.

Before accepting and proceeding with any request, the Creative New Media Officer will review this request and schedule a consultation with you to better understand the scope and the requirements of the work.

Preparing materials for an approved request
  • Assemble all the materials needing to be digitized in one corpus
  • The Creative New Media Officer will make an appointment with you to bring the entire corpus to the Freedman Center for intake and consultation with you. 
  • Please provide a hard drive for digitized file delivery back to you or access to a Google Drive.
  • For more information contact the Freedman Center at freedmancenter@case.edu.
Commercial and Personal Digitization 

Unsure if your project qualifies as 'professional', or uncertain as to what level of digitization software your project requires? Reach out to the the Freedman Center staff for digitization options at freedmancenter@case.edu.

Multimedia Software

The Freedman Center has many types of media editing, creation, manipulation, post-production, and authoring tools. A complete listing can be found on our Software Research Guide. The list is always growing and we do take recommendations.