Volume 29, Issue 4

Micrographics once served the world of banking, finance and government. Microfilm was the medium. Since then, the micropublishing world has turned its attention to higher education and has devised a variety of formats: microcards, microprint, 16 and 35 millimeter microfilm, microfiche and ultrafiche to capture that market during a quarter-century period. Micrographics has responded to the information explosion that triggered the technology revolution which drives much of the world's economy. Developments in electrical engineering and the electronics industry gave contemporary society the semiconductor which revolutionized the storage, retrieval and dissemination of information, an issue of vital importance to the library profession. Developments in communication technology brought about by fiber optics and speedier microprocessors followed.

“Conservation” and “Digitization” represent key terms from two different worlds. Conservation has overtones of longstanding tradition, carefully applied to holdings of honorable institutions like museums, libraries or galleries to ensure the longevity of their treasures. Digitization has the flavor of new technology, and although it is becoming a more widely accepted strategy for improving access to a lot of different resources, it still comes with imponderabilities in terms of digital asset lifespan, authenticity, etc.

Introduction It hardly needs saying that the act of creating a digital historical database involves the process of converting information from one format (paper) to another (digital). This conversion process is ultimately the essence of creating the resource, and those embarking on the endeavor need to think very hard about exactly what it is they are about to do. Talking to others who have gone through similar processes in related disciplines, reading appropriate literature, and evaluating and using a range of database technologies are possible initial starting points. The much-used maxim ‘Garbage In – Garbage Out’ is, unsurprisingly, appropriate here as the decisions taken and methodology employed in this critical stage of the resource's development, define the future value and usefulness of the resource. Bad judgements and fudged decisions at the design stage are almost always amplified in the final product which, at best, can make the database extremely problematic to use and, at worst, completely worthless.

Over the past several years, a number of publications listing best practices and guidelines for scanning have emerged from institutions engaged in digital imaging projects. Many of these guidelines are well written and have contributed significantly to understanding the imaging process; however, they are by nature institution-specific and often reflect local needs and decisions. Fortunately, we now have a series of guides that address issues of quality in a broad context. The Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging , divided into five sections and written by four authors, discusses the “science of imaging” – objective measures for quality in scanning devices, imaging systems, and image files – and how these measures can be integrated into imaging workflows. The guides do not make specific recommendations for image capture or imaging components as other guidelines do. Rather, they attempt to answer the hard questions of how to evaluate quality; how to ensure that high-quality images are produced in our work; and how to create images worth investing in over the long term. Although the language and subject of the guides is rather technical, helpful visuals are used when applicable (especially in the pieces by Williams and D'Amato), and readers are referred to other resources that explain complex concepts at greater length. All of the guides emphasize the importance of identifying the purpose and intended use of image files and how they influence critical decisions made in any imaging project. The purposes for which one is scanning and the audience for which one is scanning inform technical choices made at different stages of an imaging project, from planning to managing files long-term. Decisions made all along the digitization chain have an impact on the final product, its long-term value, and its potential use.

The growing number of digital conversion professionals will be very pleased with the release of a new book: Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access . Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), the largest nonprofit conservation center in the United States, has developed this guide to managing digital conversion projects following its very successful School for Scanning lecture series.