Digitisation of Archival and Manuscript Materials in Libraries Presentation by Martin Bradley

What we think of when we talk about digitising:

Usual Suspects Greatest Hits approach Visually appealing material Should be more to it…

Why Digitise? Preservation Conservation Access

Preservation Concept of Vital Records Copy available in event of disaster Do we need to keep a backup?

Rosa Keller Branch New Orleans Public Library 20/9/2005

Conservation Fragile Damaged Rare Bulky

On the Road, Jack Kerouac, Teletype Paper, 1951

Access Access by multiple researchers National / International access Promotion of new sources Access to rare/damaged/bulky materials

Microfilm Vs Scan Microfilm tested preservation technology Some outsized/fragile materials better to film then scan Possible to output to film from scan Both just provide an image Digital image easier to provide metadata

The Electronic Beowulf CD

Getting Information OCR of limited use/accuracy Old English? Latin? Gaelic? Palaeography / legibility?

Capturing Information Level of Information required? Box, Book, Page, Entry or Individual? Information must be captured in the naming convention Decisions must be made before capture Linking images to database entries

Using an Archivist Palaeographic Skills Language Skills Accuracy Consistency Understanding search criteria

Outsource or In-House? IN Knowledge of and familiarity with material Control over the process Accessibility of materials OUT Expensive equipment Specialist knowledge & track record

Copyright Issues Publication Vs Consultation Items in Public Domain Choose Large number of items copyright of a single entity Use of low-resolution or watermarking

Avoiding Damage Get expert advice Handle originals as little as possible Use appropriate protective materials Scan one for all purposes (SOAP)

Resolution & Bit Depth DPI – Dots Per Inch – depends on size and amount of fine detail Bit Depth – amount of colour High Resolution/Bit Depth for Preservation Copy Lower Resolution/Bit Depth for Consultation Copy

Output Formats Images: TIFF – jpeg & gif can be derived from this later Audio: BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) Video: MPEG or MOV

Storage Media Initially on hard-drive “Gold” CDROM / DVD Long-Term: Digital Linear Tape Any medium will become obsolete in medium term

Migration / Emulation Emulation – e.g. Spectrum Emulator for PC – BBC Micro Domesday Project Migration to new formats/media Refresh Media Verify writing of data

Further Reading Archives Ireland: Digitisation Guidelines cticeDigitisationGuidelines.pdf cticeDigitisationGuidelines.pdf BSI Dublin Core Metadata:

Martin Bradley Director Lo-Call: Mob: