Over the last years, many libraries, archives and documentation centers have undertaken major digitalization projects with their collections. Nevertheless this process is done for the conservation of the material and improving the access service for the community, it can also involve a significant loss of resources if standardized technical capture processes are not considered. When the digitalization projects “Biblioteca virtual Cervantes” and “Memoria chilena” were launched at the Biblioteca Nacional de Chile, a theoretical and practical study was carried out in order to generate a standardized work methodology. Proper conditions for implementing digitalization processes with collections were addressed, based on the cultural value, physical features, conservation condition and demand for the use of the items. The goal was to minimize the factors and/or causes of deterioration that could endanger original materials as a result of the format change procedures, while simultaneously maximizing available resources allowing the recovery of digital information in the long term. The results are presented as a work experience.