The original manuscripts reside at the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library in Timbuktu, Mali. The Library of Congress Digital Scan Center produced master, or archival, versions of the manuscripts as 300-dots-per-inch (dpi) color images in the TIFF format, as well as high-quality and lower-quality JPEG images and thumbnail GIFs. As a condition of the agreement with Abdel Kader Haidara, the owner of this manuscript collection, the Library is making available online only the lower-quality JPEG images and thumbnail GIFs.
Maps were digitized in the Geography and Maps Division, Library of Congress, using a Lumiere JumboScan.
Photographs were digitized by JJT, Inc., working in the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, using Sinar 54 and Sinar 23 camera backs that take a single image capture of each item.