Here is a post from RCAAM I wrote and thought it would be useful here too:
The question was: "We want to begin processing our slide collections and would like to contact someone that has done this. We are looking for answers to questions such as scanning size and resolution, best way to number slides, storage recommendations, and database recommendations."
My response was this: "We've been digitizing slides and transparencies for some time now. We have several of these scanners ( http://www.adorama.com/IES10000XLP.html ) with the transparency adapter (http://www.adorama.com/IESTU10000XL.html ). The adapter includes slide holders for 35mm, 120 and 4x5 and can hold a whole sheet of 35mm slides. The Epson scanning software is pretty good.
Our imaging resolution guidelines are usually 3000 pixels on the long side at 300 dpi (so the image can be printed 8x10). To get that size out of a 35mm slide you would have to scan above 2500 dpi, which is a bit much in my opinion, especially if your original slides aren't all that good. A 800 or 1000 dpi scan would be more than enough for a usable image to put on the internet or in a collections database.
Most collections databases have a "multimedia" function that you can load collections images to. I rather like PastPerfect, especially for the price.
We number the slides and the scanned images with the accession number.
Unless you have a dedicated negative/slide storage room, the cheapest way to store slides is in a refrigerator."
Jason Onerheim
Minnesota Historical Society
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. Good practical info - much appreciated.