FADGI

FADGI is an acronym for the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative. It is a collaborative effort involving several U.S. federal agencies to develop guidelines and best practices for the digitization of historical and cultural materials. The initiative aims to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of digital surrogates of important documents, photographs, audio-visual recordings, and other cultural heritage assets.

The primary goal of FADGI is to provide a consistent and high-quality approach to digitization across the participating agencies, which include the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. This consistency is crucial for interoperability, sharing of digital collections, and efficient management of vast digital archives.

FADGI develops technical guidelines covering various aspects of the digitization process. These include recommendations for image quality, file formats, metadata standards, and preservation strategies. The initiative publishes its findings and recommendations in publicly accessible documents, serving as a valuable resource for cultural heritage institutions worldwide, not just federal agencies. By promoting standardized methods, FADGI contributes to the creation of reliable and enduring digital records that can be accessed and utilized by researchers and the public for generations to come.