How To Contribute?

The goal of Columbus Memory is to partner with historical societies, archives, museums, and organizations in Columbus and Franklin County to digitize items of historical significance. Individual donors with significant collections or items relating to the history of Columbus and/or Franklin County may also participate. Collections of related items are preferable to individual submissions.

Benefits of contributing:

We recognize that most historical societies and organizations do not have paid staff, rely on volunteers, and may not have the technological ability to digitize their collections.

As a contributing partner or donor you will:

  • Make your collection available to broad audience via the Internet.
  • Get assistance with digitization process.
  • Decrease handling of fragile documents.
  • Be recognized as a Partner (organization) or as an individual donor.

Contribution Guidelines

We are seeking historically significant items that represent the city/county, are unique, or fragile.

  • Items must be identifiable - Is it dated, does it have an author or other identifying marks?
  • Copyright: Items must be in the public domain and not violate copyright restrictions. If the donor is the holder of the copyright they must sign a release.
  • Columbus Memory does not serve as a repository for genealogies and family photographs.
  • Any item over 60 pages, or larger than 17” x 23”, cannot be accommodated.
  • The Columbus Metropolitan Library prefers not to keep items permanently, but will keep them on temporary loan for the purposes of digitization.
  • If you want to make a permanent donation, the Library will consider donations of paper materials; the Columbus Historical Society will consider paper and artifacts.

Selection Criteria

  • Visual items
    • Photographs of historical significance that can be identified
    • Postcards of Columbus and cities in Franklin County
    • Maps
  • Manuscript (handwritten documents)
    • Letters, diaries, journals or accounts.
      • Manuscripts must be transcribed by the donor.
    • The author and time period need to be identified.
    • They should be historically significant, and provide insight into a period of time, an important event, or how people lived.
  • Books
    • Scanning entire books is discouraged due to technological issues and copyright issues
  • Objects
    • One dimensional objects can be scanned.
    • Three dimensional objects can be scanned or photographed including all sides of the object.
  • Oral Histories
  • Sound and Video Files

Ways to contribute

  • Please call first to discuss with staff if you are interested in becoming a partnering organization or a donor to insure we can accommodate your donation. Call 614-645-2275 and ask for the Genealogy, History & Travel Division.
  • The Columbus Metropolitan Library can do the scanning for you. Our scanner can accommodate items up to 17" x 23".
  • Materials should be dropped off in the Genealogy, History and Travel Division of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library at 96 S. Grant Ave.
  • If you have scanning capabilities, you can provide us with a disc. (See scanning standards, below.) Discs can be mailed or dropped off in person to the Genealogy, History & Travel Division, Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
  • Please print off an Intake Form and fill it out for each object you are donating to the Columbus Memory project. Drop the form(s) off with your donation or mail them to the Genealogy, History & Travel Division, Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215.

Scanning standards

  • High resolution: minimum 300dpi, maximum 600dpi.
  • Scan at high resolution uncompressed Tiffs which will be converted to JPEGs in the Columbus Memory database.
  • Bit depth should be 24 bit for color images.