We talk a lot (maybe too much?!) about portability and ease of transportation of our mobile digitization kits. It’s important because if we want to create a replicable model for others, we need to be fully transparent not only about the quality of the kit we’ve purchased and whether we’d recommend it but also how much it weighs.

So, how much do they weigh?

We’ve given everyone the itemized breakdown and cost of our kits with the publication of our equipment lists. But what we haven’t done is shared with everyone just how much they weigh.

I’ll preface this by saying  the community and institution kits have diverged slightly. The two differences, are the tripod and the lights. We’ve chosen to only make the changes to one kit because the copy-stand has not been used as readily at community scanning events as it’s been used at METRO member institutions.

Here’s the breakdown:

Scanning kit weight: 27.1 lb
*comprised of Epson V600 scanner and case.
*one of the community scanning kits is heavier as it’s comprised of the Epson V800 scanner and a larger case.

Copy-stand kit weight: 18 lb
*comprised of camera, lights and case.

Alternative tripod weight: 4.4 lb
*only used for institution kit.

Alternative lights weight: 13.4 lb
*only used for institution kit.

Backpack weight (with original tripod): 21.3 lb
Backpack weight (with original tripod taken out but new light stands in): 22 lb
*backpack houses laptop, charger, backdrop and ancillary items (the list of which is here).
*the community scanning backpack will be heavier due to the outreach items needed for community events (forms, flyers, banner, tablets, headphones, etc.).

The whole (original) kit ready to go

Total approx weight of original kit:
66.4 lb (used for community scanning)
*one of the community kits is heavier due to a different scanner and case in use.
*It’s also prudent to add on a couple more lbs to accommodate for the outreach materials.

Total approx weight for modified kit: 84.9 lb (used for institutional scanning)

As we have a couple of new items for the institution copy-stand kit, I’ll be exploring options for a possible new carrying system as although the new lights and tripod all come with their own carry cases, there’s now a few too many things that need carrying. I’ll be sure to write about any solutions we try out.

So, are they lightweight enough to be truly mobile?

The problem is, there’s too much subjectivity in what constitutes a lightweight, manageable kit. What is heavy to one person, can be manageable to another. It’s also situation dependent. For the community scanning events, the whole kit is needed, every time, as you cannot anticipate what material will be brought in to be digitized. In some instances Sarah & Maggie can use their respective libraries delivery systems to transport their kits. However, they often need to transport the kit themselves when community events are scheduled closely together or for far off-site events. They have the added weight in their kits of outreach materials needed for their events (forms, flyers, banner, tablets, headphones, etc.) which pretty much renders the backpack too heavy to be safely carried.

Taking the scanning kit & backpack on the subway to METRO host institution, New York Academy of Medicine

Institutional scanning allows greater flexibility. Ahead of time, it can be determined what piece of kit will be needed to digitize the material. The relevant kit can then be transported on the subway, as I find it manageable to take one case and a backpack on the subway. I have successfully transported the kit via New York City’s subway system four times, which is a good a test as any for its portability due to the lack of escalators and elevators on the system and generally the narrow and/or overcrowded platforms. If both kits are needed or if the institution is too far a walk from the subway, I will take a car service to the destination.  

This approach does mean you need to factor in a higher transportation cost than just the cost of a subway ride but if you were replicating this model in an area with no mass transit infrastructure, alternative options would need to be considered and transportation costs do need to be a factor in creating a mobile digitization service. Options such as purchasing a vehicle specifically for the service, having a budget for hiring a car, taking a car service or cab/taxi’s as well as taking the kit on mass transit would need to be considered.

What our experiences have taught us are that no one size fits all. Needs of projects are different and what works for some, will not be suitable for others. The bottom line, is that, the kit is mobile in terms of its portability – the equipment can be moved as it’s either in wheeled cases or on our backs. However, this is only true if the whole kit does not need to be moved at once and on balance, weighing in at least 64 lb, it begins to be prohibitively heavy. It would definitely be advisable to factor in generous transportation costs into any budget to successfully move the kit around.

There are options for different equipment also. We have chosen the Epson scanners to be part of our kit because of their ability to scan negatives, amongst other considerations. We seriously considered purchasing the Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 as an scanning alternative for the institution kit but eventually decided not to because it cannot produce TIFFs, only PDF and JPEG. A scanner we have not used in this project but one that I have used previously to digitize 19th century manuscript material is the Canon LiDE220. This is a good alternative for small manuscript material. It does not give as much flexibility in terms of range of materials that can be scanned as the Epson but it is extremely lightweight and small (fits in a backpack) and can produce TIFFs.

So there you have it, the true weight of our mobile kits. We hope it’s useful to others who are interested in creating a mobile digitization service.