Blog
Mold: How to Protect Vital Collections
I recently came across this article in the Shreveport Times detailing the growing problem of mold (pun intended) in the Shreve Memorial Library. This is one example of a common concern amongst libraries and archives. How do you keep your collections safe from mold and other forms of erosion and aging? As we’ve discussed in a previous blog, microfilm is the longest surviving media and can last up to 500 years when stored properly. But don’t overlook that last part…
Crowley Celebrates 35 Years
In 1980, the Dow Jones Industrial average was 963, the average U.S. income was $19,500 and a gallon of gas cost an average of $1.19. Quite a lot happened in the world that year, but in one little corner of Montgomery County, Maryland, Jerome F. (Jerry) Crowley took a risk, left his comfortable position as a micrographics equipment manufacturer’s rep and went out on his own. This month, J.F. Crowley Inc. is celebrating its 35th year since incorporation and is…
Road Scanner, Part Two
Last week, we shared the story of Overland Conversion and their traveling Zeutschel OS 12000 overhead scanner. Weighing in at over 550 pounds when crated and needing a trailer for transport, the 12000-series does not easily fit the category of “portable.” And yet Chris Irelan and his firm have found a way to make quality imaging-on-the-go successful, traveling the states of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, and Arkansas. Curious about the concept of taking the large format scanner (affectionately nicknamed…
Road Scanner, part one
(Introduction written by Debbie Harris, Crowley’s director of technical services) It is rare when a big box scanner moves from one location to another on a regular basis. And by “big box,” I mean BIG box…in this case 575 crated pounds of overhead large-format scanner. It is even rarer when it’s the client who is doing the moving. When Chris Irelan of Overland Conversion set out to digitize books and documents, he meant it literally. So, in cooperation with The Crowley…
Speaking Greek in the Service Bureau
When I told my parents I wanted to join a sorority years back (the exact number a closely guarded secret), the response was swift: “Why?” Years later, I have occasion to pose the same question (with far less incredulity) to a few of the Greek letter organizations that have chosen to digitize their correspondence and photo collections with Crowley Imaging. It became quickly apparent that the answer is far more credible than my own had been. As Wikipedia aptly describes,…
OCR? ICR? IWR? OMG! Get the Most from Your Scanned Text
In celebration of last Friday’s National Handwriting Day, I decided to write a blog about Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Only when researching it for this blog did I discover that OCR actually has nothing to with handwriting, once again proving how little I really know about the vast imaging industry (despite the approach of my second anniversary with the company). It was then that I discovered ICR and IWR. More on that later. In layman’s terms (which is more my…
Library Solutions Win Modern Library Awards
We got the good news a month ago, but a press moratorium kept our lips sealed (here we go with that again!) until today: two of Crowley’s Zeutschel scanners have garnered accolades in the inaugural Modern Library Awards (MLA) program present by LibraryWorks, Inc. This announcement is exciting for several reasons: 1) The word “Modern.” Although today’s libraries still cater to those of us who like to cuddle up in a quiet space surrounded by stacks of literature (absorbing intelligence simply…
Confidentiality: When Privacy Gets in the Way of a Good Business Story
I hate secrets. I especially hate when someone tells me a secret. If I can’t talk about it, what good is it? By nature and by profession as Crowley’s Director of Communications, I am a sharer of information. So imagine my frustration when I find out that Crowley Imaging has just scanned _______ images (How many? Seriously?) of _______ (Are you kidding me?? These are the most amazing images I’ve ever seen!) for _______ (What do you mean I can’t…
New Year, New Resolutions: Goals for Growth in 2015
At The Crowley Company, when we think of resolutions, we usually think about image resolution. Megapixels, DPI, true optical vs. interpolated resolution, we could write an entire blog about it (oh wait, we did) but that’s not the topic this week. Instead, we’re thinking about the changes 2015 may bring and the steps we’ll take to grow the Crowley brand and build upon the success of the past 35 years. So on that note, here are several resolutions we’ve set for…
Holiday Wishes
As 2014 comes to a close, The Crowley Company wishes you each joy, peace, health and happiness. Please note that all offices are closed December 25, December 26th and January 1st. The U.S. offices will be opened with limited staff December 29th -December 31st and January 2nd. If you need attention within 24 hours, please email [email protected] or call (240) 215-0224. We look forward to serving and working with you in the New Year.