Tech Forum

Our Stake wants each unit to have the capability to be able to scan documents and then upload them into LCR, like parental consent for baptism, scanning receipts for payment, etc. In other words an Multi-Function Printer (MFP). Is there a policy on this? If so, please point me to it.

Your should already have a MFP in the library. It probably has the ability scan documents directly to a USB flash drive. You could also connect the MFP to the network, but then you would be running back and forth from the clerk's office to the library. Scanning to a flash drive is the best choice.

Any policy would likely be in some kind of FM handbook - something no one outside of FM seems to have access to.

However, with smart phone apps such as the free Microsoft's Office Lens, I'm not sure as a scanner is needed. It's certainly more convenient than trudging down to the library every time you need a page scanned.

There's also Adobe Scan which has good reviews, but I've not used it personally.

If the stake has extra budget available (likely would not be supported by the FM group) there are desktop scanners available for several hundred dollars each. I have used them in the past and they are exceedingly convenient for scanning documents to a PC. Not an endorsement, but what I used while deployed with the military was a ScanSnap model. When I was clerk, I struggled to get Office Lens to give me a good scan of the entire document (possibly because the counter in the clerk's office is light colored Formica which made it difficult for the software to see the edges of the page). I found I often had to take the document home where I had a darker surface available to make the scan.

davesudweeks wrote:When I was clerk, I struggled to get Office Lens to give me a good scan of the entire document (possibly because the counter in the clerk's office is light colored Formica which made it difficult for the software to see the edges of the page).

A large sheet of construction paper (such as 11" x 17") should fix that.

If you have an iOS device, there's a "Scan Documents" option in the Apple Files app that uses your device camera to create a scan (similar to Office Lens and Adobe Scan mentioned above). Scans created using a smartphone camera aren't usually quite as high quality as a flat-bed scanner, but they're usually good enough for keeping track of forms and receipts.

russellhltn wrote:

davesudweeks wrote:When I was clerk, I struggled to get Office Lens to give me a good scan of the entire document (possibly because the counter in the clerk's office is light colored Formica which made it difficult for the software to see the edges of the page).

A large sheet of construction paper (such as 11" x 17") should fix that.

Placing the document on the floor works in our building.

I use a clipboard I lean up against the wall that keeps my shadow out of the picture