Scan-a-Thon

Do you have cherished photographs at home? Do you want to preserve your family’s photographs digitally for generations? Museums of Burlington invites you to bring your local family photographs and documents to us where we will scan your items and add them to our community archives. Keep your family treasures and gain a digital copy!

Alternatively, if you’d like, you can donate the original copy to the Museum for long-term preservation at our storage facility. You and your family can choose to visit the photos any time you desire. Preservation and access go hand in hand, as we collect and store content so that it can be viewed and enjoyed by generations of Canadians.

Join us on August 1, 2024 from 10am-1pm. We recommend booking a timeslot on our website. For more information regarding the event, email our Curatorial department at lynna.nguyen@burlington.ca.

Please note: item subjects brought to this scanning event must illustrate the historic founding, settlement, and development of the Burlington area. This can include old landscape photos, event photos, portraits of family who lived and grew up in Burlington, family pictures at Burlington locations, etc.

Why is this important?

A community’s history is captured through photographs and documents often tucked away in private homes. Sharing personal memories can actually enrich the community’s history; digital scans ensure preservation of the stories, memories, and experiences unique to the people of Burlington.

Digital preservation is an on-going process and part of the Museum’s collections policy. We hold these resources in trust for the benefit of future generations, while also providing ways to interact with the collections. We aim to make sure these memories can be accessed forever!

Specifications 

Only paper documents and photographs no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches, plus photo negatives and slides, will be digitized during community scan day. Items brought in may not collectively exceed over seven pages.

If items brought to the event cannot be scanned at that time for any reason, participants will receive information on how to schedule a follow-up appointment for one-on-one assistance or other recommendations.

Community scan day participants are encouraged to pre-register as slots will be limited.

Formats accepted: paper documents, photographs, photo-negatives, and slides
Maximum size: 11″ x 17″