Digitized materials enable residents and those outside the Region to conveniently access important documents. Storage with the proper facility - be it at the Library branch or otherwise - preserves the state of the physical resources.

Criteria for Digital Collections

The digital collection is comprised of searchable, online groupings of digitized files (e.g., print documents, photographs, audio and video recordings).  Donations and additions to the Library’s digitized collections are subject to the same selection criteria as found in the applicable sections of the Material Selection Policy. Attribution statements, identifying the item’s creator and/or owner, must accompany any items not owned, but digitized with permission from other collections and/or organizations. Items selected for digitization will focus primarily on local history material, but other material may be considered.

Digitization Projects

Region of Waterloo Library (RWL) will endeavour to partner with other organizations and interested parties to ensure that digital Waterloo Region resources reach the widest possible audience Materials to be digitized may include those resources of the Region of Waterloo Library as well as those of its partners and the community.  Such digitization projects may become part of the Library’s online collection and be featured,or linked to, on the Library website. All project partners must exercise due diligence to ensure they own the rights to the items they contribute for digitization. Copies of correspondence and permissions must be given to the Region of Waterloo Library for their files of all items submitted to the Library for digitization.

Donated Items for Digitization

All items donated to RWL for the purposes of digitization and/or inclusion in RWL’s online collections will follow the procedures set out in RWL’s Donation Policy and Local History – Collection Policy Third party organizations may donate digital files to RWL to be included in online collections that are accessible the public; such files must be donated with accompanying metadata All donated items require a signed Donation Form (for physical items) or a signed RWL Digital Use Agreement (for digital items) All donated materials, whether physical or digital, become the property of the Region of Waterloo Library. As such, they may be added to the collection, sold, or disposed of as the library chooses. The Library is not responsible for informing the donor of such disposition.

Loaned Items for Digitization

Third party organizations and individuals (Digitization Project Partners)  may loan physical items to RWL for the purpose of digitization The digital copies, and all accompanying metadata, resulting from such digitization projects become the property of RWL and may be added to the collection, sold, or disposed of as the library chooses. The Library is not responsible for informing the owner of the physical copies of such disposition. Digitization Project Partners maintain ownership of, and responsibility for, all physical items in their collections. Physical materials contributed by project partners to be digitized and featured or accessed as part of the Library’s online catalogue and/or online collection site(s) require a signed RWL Temporary Receipt Form and RWL Digital Use Agreement . before an action is undertaken by the Library.