Thanks to Neil Sarkar for pointing this out!
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I have a digital camera that cost about $200 and takes great photos. A professional photographer friend just bought a camera for under $2000 that takes 10 megapixel photos that are of outstanding quality. Obviously, what he can do with his camera is more than what I can do with mine. Mine is built for a consumer who needs only a few options, while a $2000 camera is built for someone who needs lots of control and flexibility. I think the same is true when talking about the difference in digitization equipment.If you have an analogy that you use when explaining the difference in equipment, please let me know. Analogies are often a great way of getting a point across.
The vendor presentations from the book scanner comparison over in Germany are now available on line. Interesting specs regarding technical differences (electronic shutter industrial cameras versus mechanical shuttered commercial cams, bayer filtered versus non bayer, etc). There is also one presentation where they actual mention maximum rated speed and "actual" production numbers (taking into account book load/unload time etc). Some other good info on what it actually takes to build a scanning factory from the ground up.
http://www.muenchener-digitalisierungszentrum.de/index.html?c=vmdz&l=en
There is also a very substantial zipfile containing images of the event. (400+MB)
Progress towards practical long-term preservation seems to be stalled. Preservationists cannot afford specially developed technology, but must exploit what is created for the marketplace. Economic and technical facts suggest that most preservation work should be shifted from repository institutions to information producers and consumers.I have not yet had a chance to read the article, but the graphics have peaked by interest!
Prior publications describe solutions for all known conceptual challenges of preserving a single digital object, but do not deal with software development or scaling to large collections. Much of the document handling software needed is available. It has, however, not yet been selected, adapted, integrated, or deployed for digital preservation. The daily tools of both information producers and information consumers can be extended to embed preservation packaging without much burdening these users.
We describe a practical strategy for detailed design and implementation. Document handling is intrinsically complicated because of human sensitivity to communication nuances. Our engineering section therefore starts by discussing how project managers can master the many pertinent details.
Heavy rains this summer have impacted many parts of New York State. The New York State Library sincerely hopes that local libraries and cultural organizations are not impacted.
In the event that a library or other cultural organization must deal with water damaged material, state may wish to visit the New York State Library's Division of Library Development's web page for advice and a listing of helpful resources at: www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev
For information and updates on flooding, please visit the Office of the State Emergency Management (SEMO) website at: www.semo.state.ny.us/
If your institution does suffer water damage, please let the State Library know by emailing Barbara Lilley, Conservation/Preservation Program Officer, Division of Library Development, New York state Library at blilley@mail.nysed.gov or 518-486-4864.
Below are tips for dealing with water damage from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force.Save Your Treasures the Right Way
If you're careful, you can halt further damage
Hurricanes and floods threaten not only homes, but treasured possessions: family heirlooms, photos, and other keepsakes. Even if they are completely soaked, they can probably still be saved if they are not contaminated with sewage or chemicals. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a coalition of 41 national organizations and federal agencies including FEMA, offers these basic guidelines:These recommendations are intended as guidance only. Neither the Heritage Emergency National Task Force nor its sponsors, Heritage Preservation and FEMA, assume responsibility or liability for treatment of damaged objects.
- Safety first! With any disaster there may be health risks. Wear plastic or rubber gloves during cleanup. If there is mold, wear protective gear-surgical mask or respirator, goggles, and coveralls.
- Prevent mold. Mold can form within 48 hours, so you will need to work fast. The goal is to reduce the humidity and temperature around your treasures as you proceed to clean and dry them.
- Air-dry. Gentle air-drying is best for all your treasured belongings-indoors, if possible. Do not use hair dryers, irons, ovens, and prolonged exposure to sunlight-they will do irreversible damage. Increase good indoor airflow with fans, open windows, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.
- Handle with care. Use great caution in handling your heirlooms, which can be especially fragile when wet. Separate damp materials: remove the contents from drawers; take photographs out of damp albums; remove paintings and prints from frames; place white paper towels between the pages of wet books.
- Clean gently. Loosen dirt and debris on fragile objects gently with soft brushes and cloths. Avoid rubbing, which can grind in dirt.
- Salvage photos. Clean photographs by rinsing them carefully in clean water. Air-dry photos on a plastic screen or paper towel, or by hanging them by the corner with plastic clothespins. Do not let the image come into contact with other surfaces as it dries.
- Prioritize. You may not be able to save everything, so focus on what's most important to you, whether for historic, monetary, or sentimental reasons.
- Can't do it all? Damp objects and items that cannot be dealt with immediately should be put in open, unsealed boxes or bags. Photos, papers, books, and textiles should be frozen if you can't get them dry within 48 hours.
- Call in a pro. If a precious item is badly damaged, a conservator may be able to help. Be sure to collect broken pieces. Set your treasure aside in a well-ventilated room until you find professional help. To locate a conservator, contact the Guide to Conservation Services, American Institute for Conservation, (202) 452-9545, http://aic.stanford.edu.
For reliable online information and links to professional conservation resources, see www.heritageemergency.org.
Ribbon Scanning...enables the user to capture a whole roll of film as one image...there are no scanning bottlenecks, frame jumping issues or lost images.Dividing the long image into different "pages" occurs during post-processing.
The Fifth International Conference on the Preservation of Digital Objects (iPres 2008) will be held by the British Library at its Conference Centre in London on 29-30 September 2008. You can now view the preliminary programme at www.bl.uk/ipres2008/programme.html.
This years’ conference will bring together almost eighty expert international speakers and facilitators and 200 delegates to explore the latest research, thinking and developments, national and international initiatives, empirical evidence and technology in preservation of digital objects.
The theme of this years’ conference is: Joined Up and Working: Tools and Methods for Digital Preservation and will address the principles, practice required to preserve digital content plus local and national examples of preservation activity.
Dame Lynne Brindley, CEO, The British Library will open the event. Speakers include: Neil Beagrie, Charles Beagrie Ltd; Sabine Schrimpf, National Library of Germany and Nestor; Frances Boyle, Digital Preservation Coalition; Robert McDonald, San Diego Supercomputer Centre; Ronald Murray, Library of Congress; David Rosenthal, Stanford University; Richard Boulderstone, British Library and International Internet Preservation Coalition; Martha Anderson and April McKay, National Digital Information Infrastructure Programme; Keith Rajecki, Sun Microsystems; Colin White, National Library of Australia; Richard Wright, BBC; Steve Knight, National Library of New Zealand and Gareth Knight, Kings College.
Panels will discuss topics which include:
iPres 2008 will appeal to librarians, archivists, curators, information managers, IT managers, digital preservation software and repository developers, vendors, researchers, consultants, publishers and trainers. This year, delegates can elect to follow a practitioner and a technical track through the programme.
To register now, visit: www.bl.uk/ipres2008/register.html. 150 of 250 places remain. Bookings made before 21 July will be charged at the reduced rate of £100+VAT. Bookings after 21 July will be charged at £125 + VAT. For more information or enquiries e-mail: ipres2008-mailings@bl.uk. The two-day programme starts each day at 08:45 and ends at 17:30.
Tessella has been working on advanced digital archiving solutions for many years, alongside some of the world’s most farsighted archiving organizations. In partnership with the UK National Archives, Tessella developed the Safety Deposit Box (SDB) to help confront the problem of digital preservation. The core SDB software has been in use at the UK National Archives for four years, and has recently been significantly enhanced as part of their Seamless Flow programme. Other users of SDB include Arkib Negara (Malaysia), the British Library, and the Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv (Swiss Federal Archives).The web site doesn't really give many details about the product. If anyone has experience with this product, I'd like to hear your comments on it.
Have you ever uploaded an image or a video to a website, only for it to be deleted because of copyright issues? While some areas of copyright law can be complicated enough to cause copyright lawyers sleepless nights, the basics are very simple. Armed with some simple principles, you can save yourself from running afoul of copyright law.The seven steps on the page are too brief to answer all the questions someone might have, but for those who never think about copyright, it is a nice place to start.