What can be captured when digitizing?

When trying to capture items through digitization, there are characteristics and essences that can be shared through the process, and those that digitization is not able to fully capture.

With a still image from photography, the color of an item can be captured, as long as the lighting is good. Too dark, and the color won’t be accurately displayed. But one can not capture how an item feels, unless one is quite familiar with the item and can use their past experiences, such as the bumpy skin of some fruit. Both photography and video will not capture smells of an item. The weight of an object could be assumed, but not captured accurately by a photograph or video.

Which forms of digitization make the most sense for different types of items?

Photography makes the most sense for items that are immobile, and can be captured in a one dimensional format. Video digitization makes more sense to capture items that are in motion.   And the addition of sound is helpful to hear voices as in song or speech.

To what extent does working with digitized representations impact how we understand different kinds of items, and our ability to use them for different purposes?

There are several important issues to keep in mind when making a decision regarding the digitization of different kinds of items. A crucial point has to do with the cost of the digitization process, and cost for storage. Based on that, one must makes decisions over what items are most important to digitize. Some items simply can not be digitized either, whether they are too fragile and may be damaged in the digitization process, or they are protected under copyright law and not accessible.

A second consideration over which items to digitize are to keep in mind what the purpose is for the end user. Will the digitized items be used for research purposes, learning and teaching, for the general public, or for preservation? Perhaps with a cache of items, one may have to be selective and decide which are the most helpful to the end user. Another consideration with the digitized items are how well are they represented in relation to the original? Is text readable? Can sound be accurately heard?

Lastly, how accessible are the digitized items to the general public? There are many digitized items that are still only available through paid subscriptions, or only through academic institutions, excluding those who do not have access.

In the digitization process, making decisions over which specific items to digitize, for what purpose, how much will it cost to digitize and store, and what access is available are all important factors to remember.