A scanning device includes a scanning mechanism, a memory, a processing mechanism, and a scan rate adjustment mechanism. The scanning mechanism scans a media sheet having an image thereon at a variable scan rate, to yield raw data. The memory temporarily stores the raw data. The processing mechanism converts the raw data within the memory into processed data. The raw data is removed from the memory as the raw data is converted. The scan rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the variable scan rate, based on one or more of an amount of free space within the memory, a fill rate at which the raw data is filling the memory, and a removal rate at which the raw data is being removed from the memory, so that the memory does not become completely full.