1. DIGITIZATION FOR
BEGINNERS
Susanne Caro
Mansfield Library
2/19/2014

2. Before you start
• Why do you want to digitize?
• What is digitization?
• I have a scanner at home! Equipment basics
• Realistic expectations- time and money
• Best practices
• Funding
• Partnering

3. Why digitize?
• Increase access
• Preservation
• Marketing your library and collections
• Community expectations
• Administrative expectations

4. What is digitization?
• The creation of electronic versions of tangible materials.
• Can be black & white, greyscale, color
• 2Dor 3D objects
• Single items or compiled
• Audio or moving images

5. Collection Selection
• Interest/ uniqueness
•
•
•
•
Copyright issues
Text vs. images
Size matters- image quality and space concerns
Access methods
Example

6. Interest/ uniqueness
• Has this already been digitized?
• Digital Repositories
Internet Archive
Hathi Trust
Digitization Projects Registry (FDLP)
Google books
Check state historical societies, archives, state libraries

7. Copyright issues
• Is it public domain?
• Is the item copyrighted?
• Can permission be obtained?
• Should you include a copyright statement?
• Does your library donation form include copyright
information?

8. Delta City Utah

9. Public Domain and Creative Commons: A Guide to Works You Can Use Freely

10. I have a scanner at home!
Equipment basics
• Image scanners
• Desk top (flat bed)
• Large format
• Book Scanner
• Digital Cameras
Photo by Al Billings, DIY Book Scanner Kit
Beta Mark 1

11. What it looks like
BCR’s CDP Digital Imaging Best Practices Version 2.0.
2008

12. Realistic expectations- time and money
Equipment
Scanner
Computer/s
Software
Labor
• Scanning
Research
copyright
other digital sources
Access/ Storage
-Varies according to:
size of the collection
If hosted or in house
• Metadata
• Uploading
Preservation
Collection
maintenance

13. Outsourcing/ Hardware/ Software
Scanner
• Desk top (flat bed)
$200+
• Large format $2,000 +
• Book Scanner $10,000+
• Digital Cameras $50.00
+
Per page scanning
.10- $1.30 per page
• Computer
scanning software
additional memory
metadata program
server/ hosting
OCR
Scanning Software
Online access

15. Planning
Research
copyright
In-house or vender
Scanning
Metadata
pre-existent record
original cataloging
Uploading
Batch
Item
Preservation
File monitoring
migration

16. Format
Text
Image
• Tend to be
• Data-rich
longer works • Can be in
color or
• Can use OCR
greyscale
on typed
• File size
documents
dependent
• Per pageon size/
smaller files
detail of
original
Media
• Large file size
• Requires
different file
types
• Can include
oral histories

17. Example

18. Size matters- image quality and space
concerns
Test
Time
Type/ File
file size
Image/ TIFF
greyscale, 8 bit
300 dpi
40 sec
18 mb
600 dpi
1 min 35 sec
72 mb
1200 dpi
7 min
288 mb
300 dpi
2 min
54 mb
600 dpi
5 min
216 mb
1200 dpi
19 min
864 mb
Color, 24 bit
Metadata
notes

19. What are bytes?
• byte (8 bits, a single charter of text)
• kb (kilobyte) 1000 bytes
• mb (megabyte) 1,000,000 bytes
• gb (gigabyte) 1,000,000,000 bytes
• tb (terabyte) 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
A new computer may come with 8gb of memory with a 1tb
hard drive.

20. 22 kb
43.5 KB

22. File types
Master files
TIFF
• Not compressed
• Can be converted to
other file types
Access
• Can include thumbnail
• GIF (better for images)
For printing
PDF, JPEG, JPEG 2000
JPEG 2000
Works with Dublin Core
Based on NARA guidelines

23. Access methods
Library website
Hosted
• Control over appearance
• Migration and
• Branding
preservation
• Off-site storage
• Multiple servers
• Easy to link to collection

24. Down and Dirty
• In-house or outsourcing
• Working with volunteers
• Working with vendors
• The format question- PDF, PDF/A, JPEG, HTML
• Metadata
Example

25. In-house or outsourcing
• Staff time
• Cost of equipment
• Server space
• Maintenance
Cost:
• Per item
• Space
• Maintenance
• Upgrade

26. Working with vendors
• Check references
• Check previous work
For scanning
What equipment is used?
How are items handled?
What types of files
created?
Can you have copies of
masters?
Will there be OCR
Will metadata be created
and what level?
Hosting
How will the files be
accessed?
Are there multiple
servers?
How often are files
monitored?
What will happen if files
are damaged?
If contract is terminatedwhat happens to the files?

27. Working with volunteers
• Find interested parties
• Determine comfort level
• Use volunteers to test equiptment/software
• Document procedures
• If possible create guides
• Give credit

28. Metadata
• Do records exist?
• What works for you?
• What level is needed?
• Are specialists available?

29. Metadata options
• Dublin Core
• 15+ categories
• Developed for electronic document
Library of Congress Standards
Standards for various formats
• Create your own

30. Caption
004_BeckwithFamily;
Identifier
004_BeckwithFamily.tif
Subject
Women--Photographs;
Description
Photo of an unknown event;
Publisher
Hosted by J. Willard Marriott Library, University of
Utah;
Resource Type
Image;
Format.Use
image/jpeg
Format.Creation
Originals scanned with Creo-Scitex Eversmart
Jazz flatbed scanner and saved as 400 ppi
uncompressed tif. Display images created in
PhotoshopCS as jpegs 800 pixels in width.
Language
eng
Rights Management
Digital image copyright 2006, Beckwith Family, all
rights reserved.
Source Material
BW Photopraph
Source Physical Dimensions
8cm x 18cm
Archival Resolution
400 ppi tif
Low-resolution
jpeg 800 pixels in width
Bit Depth
8-bit greyscale
Scanning Device
Creo-Scitex Eversmart Jazz flatbed scanner
Delta City Library, Beckwith Photograph
Collection, Hosted by U. Utah

31. Bangor Public Library, World
War II Poster Collection

32. Title
El Palacio, Vol. 21, no. 3-4-5
(September 1, 1926)
Title-Alternative
El Palacio Magazine
Date of Issue
1926-09-01
Author/Publisher
Museum of New Mexico
Contributoring Authors
Archaeological Society of
New Mexico; School of American
Research (Santa Fe, N.M.)
Subjects
New Mexico--Antiquities--Periodicals;
Southwest, New--Antiquities- -Periodicals.
Description Frequency varies; pages 57-132 (some
pages unnumbered). Page 58 printed as 60 (duplicate
page numbering). Index to Vol.21 in issue 12.
Digitization specifications 6169 KB
Rights Management
Originally digitized for the
Fine Arts Museum Library and New Mexico Art
Museum. Online publishing, permission of El Palacio.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Q:PHASE 2 .
. .EL PALACIO_READY (Vols, 16 thru 73)Volume
21, nos. 1-12V21_n3-5Vol21No3-4-5(OCROptimized-Reduced).pdf
Published On-Line by
New Mexico State Library
Type
New Mexico State Document
OCLC
01641774

33. Funding- Grants and Gifts
• Grants
• Gifts
LSTA (Library Services
and Technology Act)
• IMLS (Institute of
Museum and Library
Services)
• Local historical
societies/ archives
• Guidestar
• Foundation Center
• Volunteers
• Funds
• Equipment
• Expertise
• Time

34. Partnering
• Interested parties/ organizations
• Like-minded organizations
• State Libraries/ archives
• Universities
• Consortiums

35. Questions
?