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The Internet has completely infiltrated our way of life. As technology changes and more people utilize the Internet to access information, libraries realize the need to digitize their local history, newspapers, and genealogical information for access over the World Wide Web. Converting information was quite costly as little as three years ago, but recent technological advances offer better results and more affordable solutions.
The development of web-based formats that surpass the burden of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) and are much easier to implement, such as PDF (Portable Document Format) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), are making large collections online a possibility. Color scanning has improved. Color monitors to view these images are the standard. Compression factors to move images around the web - color or black and white - have increased accessibility. The challenge is to find a vendor that can transform your intellectual property into a digital image that is readable, accessible, compressed and formatted for the World Wide Web.
In 1996 the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) received capital allocation to post more than 100,000 of its most popular and historically significant items - some dating back to 1789 - on its Web site. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and drawings included items such as George Washington's first inaugural address. NARA required an electronic card catalog for the items as well. NARA wanted a vendor that would be able to determine the best hardware, software, and image enhancement processing needed for such delicate items, as well as work closely to create a robust database from the indexing information garnered during the scanning process.
Choosing a vendor that is able to set up a scanning facility on-site is important, due to the fact that most documents need to remain accessible to libraries/archives during document preparation and scanning activities. Selecting a vendor that has multiple scanner types ensures they will utilize top-of-the-line technology to produce the best final image. Depending on the complexity of the document indexing, vendors that employ both barcode technology during the scanning process and data entry operators to provide quality control as well as robust index population will produce the highest accuracy.
The original document will produce a digital image only as good as the quality of the original. Microfiche and roll film are inherently noisy and deteriorate depending on age. LASON is scanning Franklin County's local newspaper, whose back issues were stored on microfilm. Copies of the newspaper were filmed from the late 1800's through 1970. With approximately 10 pages per issue, LASON has been scanning one issue a week on Minolta's MS3000 Microfilm scanner. With poor film condition, individual black and white calibration techniques per frame or per image aids in the digitizing process during the scanning process. Image enhancement processing performed after the original scan can help make type readable and pictures more defined. The NARA images are perfected with Adobe Photoshop on an individual basis, which increases the cost of the conversion, but produces a better end result. There is no point in producing digitized images you cannot see.
Newsprint, colored paper, onion skin, and antique periodicals are all digitizing challenges. Paper that cannot be run through high-volume scanners needs a flatbed scanner or the high-end book scanners that scan at 90 degrees without damaging the book spine. Typewriter platen and dot matrix print create digital letters that are often unrecognizable and also require image enhancement. Only large service bureaus have that degree of technology at their disposal.
When choosing a vendor, remember that outsourcing is a relationship. You need a document conversion vendor that not only has an extensive line of best-of-breed technology and solutions, but one that will do the job in a way that respects the artistic value of the items. You also want an outsourcing vendor that will listen. If every time you make a request, the vendor attempts to steer you in another direction - beware. Digitizing projects take years. Do you really want a vendor that will try to fit your project into their capabilities, or vice versa?
With the multiple services needed to get a library collection online, a company offering only document conversion may not be enough. PDF conversion, HTML and XML services should also be part of the overall capabilities, allowing you to receive the most robust end product available to get what you need - in the right format - on the World Wide Web.
LASON is an information management service
provider.
The two-year project they performed for the National Archives and Records Administration
can be viewed at: http://www.nara.gov