Book & Bound Volume Scanning Services | Microform

"I was thrilled to bits with the hard drive containing the scans of all my scrapbooks and would like to thank you very much for doing such a splendid job and for treating them with such great care."

- Sir Stirling Moss

Bound volumes hold some of the most precious records an organisation or family can own: registers that trace generations, ledgers that tell a business's story, diaries and scrapbooks that capture a life. They're also among the hardest to share. Every time a fragile volume is opened, handled or photocopied, it wears a little more.

Our book and bound volume scanning services give you a complete digital copy, so people can read, search and share the contents while the original stays safely on the shelf. We scan without removing bindings as standard, handling each volume with the care it deserves.

From a single family scrapbook to thousands of council registers, we've been helping people look after their records for more than 70 years.

Discuss your project

/ How we can help

/ Archival Book Digitisation

/ Book Scanning

/ Bound Volume Materials

/ Diary & Scrapbook Scanning

/ Birth, Death & Marriage Registers

/ Journal and Magazine

/ Laboratory Notebook

/ Ledgers & Minute Books

/ Manuscript Scanning

/ Non-Destructive and Destructive Book Scanning

/ Register Scanning

/ Registers & Personnel Records

/ Scrapbook Scanning

/ Theatre/Music scores

What we can digitise

Not sure which service fits? Tell us what you have and we'll guide you.

Books and archival volumes Rare and historical books scanned page by page with minimal handling, plus faster options for modern books where the binding doesn't need to be kept.

Registers and official records Birth, death and marriage registers, ledgers, minute books and personnel records, captured accurately and indexed so any entry can be found in moments.

Personal and creative collections Diaries, scrapbooks, manuscripts and theatre and music scores, where loose inserts, pasted-in items and faded ink all need a gentle, patient approach.

Journals, magazines and research records Bound runs of journals and magazines, and laboratory notebooks where every handwritten entry may matter for research or intellectual property.

Get a quote

/ How It Works

1 / Tell us what you have

Share the types of volume, rough quantities and their condition. We'll reply within one working day with a recommended approach.

2 / We collect your volumes

Your volumes are collected securely and brought to our temperature-controlled heritage studio, where experienced technicians assess and prepare each one.

3 / We scan and check

Every page is scanned [using book cradles that support the spine], then quality-checked and indexed around how you search for records.

4 / Your files arrive

Your files arrive in the formats you need, ready to use and share. Your volumes are returned to you or stored securely.

/ Why choose Us?

It’s a family affair

We’re proud to fly the flag for family-run businesses, and although our team has grown significantly over the last 70 years, we still bring a personal touch to everything we do.

Complete protection

To ensure your materials are safe in our care, we implement strict security measures and undergo regular disaster recovery assessments.

Specialist heritage facilities

The storage, preparation and digitisation of your heritage materials is carried out in our purpose-built single-level, temperature-controlled studio area measuring over 10,000 feet.

Respected and respectful

Our skilled, knowledgeable and experienced handlers and technicians are known for their meticulous handling of heritage materials – treating them with the respect they deserve at all times.

Gentle preservation

We use cutting-edge technology and advanced techniques to provide one of the UK’s most specialist digitisation services for your rare, precious and fragile heritage materials.

Services by us, for you

Our flexible services are fully tailored to ensure organisations meet their key objectives regardless of the type or quantity of materials.

/ Reviews from our Customers

Microform are one of the best companies that I have had the pleasure of working with in a long time. They work as part of the extended team, so communication isn't an effort; it is a natural part of the process of getting the job done and delivering results.

Alison John Registration Services Manager, Warwickshire County Council

I love REG...the slick, quick and accurate re-production of any register entry is great, none of the staff at this office would go back to life without it!

Anne Atherton Superintendent Registrar, St Helens Registration Service

We have found the REG system a joy to manage and work with. Not only does it give us easy, speedy access to the certificates, we can now also offer a more professional, timely service to the public. All the staff have been impressed by how easy it is to use.
Microform Imaging have been a great company to work with, delivering excellent service and creating a unique, bespoke partnership.

Dawn Titherington Superintendent Registrar, Blackpool Council

Due to our repository being off site it was vital that we looked at alternative ways to work. Working with Microform and the REG system they had designed has transformed the way we work. No longer do staff have to leave the office to access registers on a daily/hourly basis all records are accessible instantly. Staff have welcomed the system and have full confidence in how to search, edit and print certificates. It has enabled us to offer a 2 hour turnaround certificate service for a premium fee increasing our income. Working with Microform has been a pleasure and one of most successful partnerships.

Gillian Greeson Superintendent Registrar, Wigan Council

REG has transformed the way in which we produce certificates. The process is simplified and streamlined and together with our ongoing indexing project has enabled us to achieve the efficiency targets required by the local authority.

Pat Evans Superintendent Registrar, The Register Office, Liverpool

From the first meeting we had to discuss our requirements with Mo, all the way through to now, communication in all forms have been exceptional. I very much doubt you could improve the quality of customer care and satisfaction. The relationship with Rachel throughout the project gave exceeded all my expectations, she has made the project a pleasure and stress-free experience. The level of professionalism and 'can do' attitude she has shown from day one has been amazing and made what could have been a time of worry and concern for me, in to a feel-good working experience. Microform go the extra mile to make life easier!

Robert Harrison IT Director and Partner, HGF

I was thrilled to bits with the hard drive containing the scans of all my scrapbooks and would like to thank you very much for doing such a splendid job and for treating them with such great care.

Sir Stirling Moss

/ Our Accreditations

/ Frequently asked questions

Will scanning damage my books?

No. Our standard approach is non-destructive: volumes are scanned with their bindings intact, supported throughout, and handled only by trained technicians.

What's the difference between destructive and non-destructive scanning?

Non-destructive scanning keeps the book whole and is right for anything rare, valuable or still in use. Destructive scanning removes the binding so pages can be fed through a high-speed scanner. It's quicker and more cost-effective, but only suitable for modern books you don't need to keep in their original form. We'll always talk it through with you first.

Can you scan fragile or damaged volumes?

Yes. We assess every volume before scanning and adapt our handling to its condition. If a volume needs stabilising first, our conservation team can advise.

Can handwritten records be made searchable?

Typed and printed text can be made searchable with OCR. Handwritten registers, ledgers and diaries can be indexed by name, date or reference, so you can still find entries quickly.

Can you handle large collections?

Yes – we regularly digitise collections running to thousands of reels and fiche.

How do I get my artefacts to you?

We have two options. You can deliver your materials to our premises, or, we can arrange collection using our track, unmarked vans from your preferred location.

How do I get my microfilm to you?

We have two options. You can deliver your microfilm to our premises, or, we can arrange collection using our track, unmarked vans from your preferred location.

Is this a standalone service?

This can be offered as a standalone service, but more often, our clients choose to use our automatic text recognition service after their materials have been digitised via our digitisation and preservation services to further enrich their data.

My books are fragile/rare, would that be a problem?

No. Microform has a long history of handling, rare, delicate, and expensive books and is one of the most trusted scanning companies in the country. Including work from both museums and universities, we have handled books and papers that are hundreds of years old and they are always treated with the utmost care and respect.

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Bound Volume Collections