Author Archive
Digitized Newspapers A Gift to Maryland Communities
Chronicled History from 1879 to 2008 Now Available Online Today is Maryland Day, a day that commemorates the formal founding of the colony of Maryland in 1634. As we’re reminded in this account by Dr. Jean Russo of Maryland State Archives, the news of the day – much like that of every news report before and since – has multiple versions. Thus, the donation of digitized historic newspapers by Eric E. Glass and The Taney Corporation serves as a concrete…
Hello Zeutschel OS Q (and Farewell to the OS 14000)
After 12 years on the market, the last of a first-of-its-kind archival scanner retires to make way for the next generation This month, the last Zeutschel OS 14000 large format overhead scanner left Tübingen, Germany for its final destination. Originally brought to market in 2008, the OS 14000 series was significant in that it ushered in a new era of high-quality digital preservation for bound and loose media up to A0 size (33.1” x 46.8” inches). The new generation OS…
Colleen’s Crew(boat):
A Crowley Christmas Story
December 2021 Update: Colleen’s Crew(boat) is back in the water and sporting a few updates thanks to the dedicated volunteer team mentioned below. You can see it “live” on YouTube (but if you’re anywhere near Frederick, we recommend a personal visit. We guarantee you’ll leave with a smile!). This is not your typical Crowley blog post. The topic is not digitization, although there is just one degree of separation between the story you are about to read and The Crowley…
How to Clean Your Book Scanner
Welcome back! As the world slowly returns to its new normal, your questions to our tech team have let us know that many of you are delving back into your digitization efforts. We’ve been happy to hear from you and hope that your return to the office is marked with good health. We’re also pleased to report that the Crowley team is once again fully staffed and working safely from our various locations in Maryland, California and the United Kingdom….
Class Action Digitization
Special Collections Give Access to Tobacco, Drug, Chemical, Food and Fossil Fuel Industry Documents A library is a library is a library, right? You might be interested to know that in the industry there are four primary library types: Public (libraries that belong to cities and towns) School (libraries that serve K-12 students) Academic (libraries that belong to higher education institutions) Special (libraries that belong to any private or public institution or corporation) So…what do you call a library that…
From Gunsight Cameras to Microfilm Scanners to Whatever’s Next: Mekel Technology plays on for nearly 50 years
You’re channel surfing and a movie catches your attention. You’ve missed the beginning but you pick up enough to be thoroughly engaged and end up watching the whole thing. Ever happen? That’s a good analogy for my journey with Mekel Technology (Mekel). I’ve worked at The Crowley Company for over a decade and know a fair amount about our Mekel product line, but I missed the beginning. With the advent of Mekel 2.0, the latest iteration of Mekel Technology scanner…
It’s MayDay: Are Your Archives Safe?
Search “May Day” on the internet and you’ll find descriptions of centuries of Spring celebrations (including a peculiar little outdoor soiree where cattle had to jump over fire to protect their milk from being stolen by fairies), the canonization of Saint Walpurga, the crowning of Queen Mary, the maypole, International Workers’ Day and a myriad of other associations that can lead to a lost hour (or more) of trivia pursuit. Put the words “MayDay” together and in the space…
Recycling Microfilm
A few months ago, a university library staff member emailed The Crowley Company to ask if we had information about the recycling or safe disposal of microform (microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards, film negatives, etc.) in his home state of Colorado. As our headquarters are in Maryland (and because I’m in the marketing department and not hands-on with microfilm), the question led me on a quick walk around the office where I gathered some helpful information. Recycle First stop was our…
MIND THE GAP: The MACH Mini Scanner fills a Void in Microfilm Capture
“Please mind the gap.” If you’ve ever been to London and taken the Tube – England’s version of New York’s Subway, Chicago’s “L” or Washington, DC’s and Los Angeles’ Metro – you’ve heard this quintessential phrase. It’s repeated in a (most civilised!) British accent at every stop upon every door open and close. On the surface, it’s a safety warning to mind the space between the train and the platform. Heard repeatedly, it doesn’t take much for one to jump…
Presidential Material?
Like many of us, I had a home office that was out of control. Making good on one of my New Year’s resolutions – pretty much a first for me – last week I pulled paper shredder and wastebasket close and got down to it. The goal was to weed out the necessary from the unnecessary, keeping only what I needed for today and for the personal archives I thought might be meaningful to future generations – books, pictures, writings…