digitaling

Digitaling is a term used to describe the act of applying or converting to digital form and, more broadly, integrating digital technologies into processes. It is a neologism formed from digital and the -ing suffix and is not standardized in formal dictionaries. In practice, digitaling may refer to digitizing physical materials as well as adopting digital tools and workflows within organizations, depending on context.

Methods commonly associated with digitaling include scanning analog content, optical character recognition, encoding media into standard formats (for example PDF/A, TIFF, WAV, MP4), and applying metadata for searchability. In organizational settings, digitaling also encompasses cloud storage, data analytics, automation, and the redesign of processes to exploit digital capabilities.

Applications range across libraries, archives, museums, government agencies, healthcare, education, and industry. Challenges include ensuring data quality and integrity, maintaining interoperability across systems, establishing long-term digital preservation policies, addressing privacy and security concerns, and managing costs. Standards and best practices—such as file formats, metadata schemas, and retention schedules—support durable digitaling outcomes.

Related terms include digitization, the conversion of analog to digital data, and digitalization, the wider integration of digital technologies into operations. Digital transformation refers to strategic, organization-wide change. Looking forward, developments in artificial intelligence–assisted OCR, automated metadata extraction, and scalable preservation solutions are likely to shape future digitaling efforts.