Digitization

Digitization is the process of converting information into a digital format, i.e., a format that can be read by computers. The result is the representation of an object, image, sound, document, or signal (usually an analog signal) obtained by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of points or samples. The result of this conversion is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image for the object and digital form for the signal. In contemporary practice, the digitized data is expressed as binary numbers, thereby enabling processing by digital computers and other operations. However, the fundamental process of digitizing entails "the conversion of analog source material into a numerical format"; the decimal or any other number system can be used instead.

Digitization is of crucial importance to data processing, storage, and transmission because it "allows information of all kinds in all formats to be carried with the same efficiency and also intermingled." Though analog data is typically more stable, digital data has the potential to be more easily shared and accessed and, in theory, can be propagated indefinitely without generation loss, provided it is migrated to new, stable formats as needed. This potential has led to institutional digitization projects designed to improve access and the rapid growth of the digital preservation field.

Sometimes digitization and digital preservation are mistaken for the same thing. They are different, but digitization is often a vital first step in digital preservation. Libraries, archives, museums, and other memory institutions digitize items to preserve fragile materials and create more access points for patrons.