Home › Records digitisation
Records digitisation
Records digitisation and document scanning, checked twice
We turn handwritten cards, ledgers, minutes, deeds, photos and laws into digital records you can search, shown beside a picture of the original. Our New York clients call it digitization; either way, every page is read twice and anything uncertain is flagged, never guessed.
What we offer
What's included
Handwritten records
Card indexes, ledgers, registers and minute books, typed up and searchable by name, date or subject.
Deeds and legal files
Old deeds, closing files and building records, indexed so a search takes minutes, not days.
Photos
Photographs scanned with a short description of each, such as the date, the place and any names written on it. We never guess who is in a photo.
Laws and their changes
Laws shown as first passed and as they stand today, with every change noted.
A website or portal
A searchable website to find it all, private for your team or open to the public, set up with your branding.
An admin desk
A simple editing tool so your staff can correct entries, add new records and publish updates themselves.
How it works
Four clear steps
- 1. Scan
We scan your records and photos, or use your own scans. Every picture of the original is kept.
- 2. Read twice
Two separate readings of every page, done with the help of AI. Neither reading sees the other.
- 3. Compare and check
The readings are compared line by line. Where they differ, we look at the original again.
- 4. Put it online
Everything goes on a searchable website, with the original beside the typed text. Anything still uncertain is marked TO CHECK, with a note.
Proof, not promises
Why clients choose PROtech
On the Parliament of Barbados Library pilot, the House of Assembly's handwritten subject index (1960s to 2008) is now typed up and searchable: 783 subjects and Members and 12,171 entries, each shown beside a picture of the original card. About 95% of entries matched on the first two readings; the rest were settled by a third look or marked TO CHECK.
- You own the scans, the typed text and the website
- Formats agreed with you: website, PDFs, image files and spreadsheets
- Handling of originals agreed in writing before we start
- Host the portal on your own account, or let us host it with logins
- A small pilot first, with accuracy and turnaround agreed up front
Questions
Good questions. Plain answers.
Is it digitisation or digitization?
Both spellings mean the same thing. British spelling is common in Barbados and digitization in the United States. We work with clients in both.
Can we start with a small sample?
Yes. We start with a small pilot on a sample of your records. You see the finished result before deciding on the full job, and the pilot fee is credited against it.
What happens when handwriting is unclear?
Every page is read twice, independently. Where the readings differ, a third look at the original settles it. If a word or date still can't be read with confidence, it is marked TO CHECK with a note saying why.
Who owns the digitised records?
You do. The scans, the typed text and any website we build for you belong to you. You can ask for a full copy at any time.
Are digitised records official copies?
No. They are a search tool, shown beside pictures of the originals. Your official record is still the one that counts.
Request a sample
See it on your own records first.
Our other services