Born digital content is easily shared in the online world, but first off, objects need to be digitized. For large collections this can take years but the Smithsonian recently detailed a new digitization process that changes that to thousands of objects per hour!

“The process uses a conveyor belt and a custom-designed 80 megapixel imaging system, making details available to the world that had only ever been seen by a select few. (By contrast, the new iPhone camera has only eight megapixels.) The conveyor belt resembles the ones used by security at airports. Markings on the belt guide team members in placing the sheets. The belt advances when the sheet at the end has been removed. Such equipment has never before been used in the United States.”

Check out the video below for a peek into the process: