Archive for the ‘Digitization Products’ Category
Christmas: A Tale of Two Censuses
A Once in a Lifetime Records Opportunity: Scanning the 1921 Census of England and Wales Regardless of how you celebrate the holidays, did it ever occur to you that the very first Christmas was driven by a records manager and a census (with a little divine inspiration)? While census records have changed a lot in the centuries since the birth of Jesus, the information is still critical and its absence can be devastating. Case in point: the 1921 England and…
Digitized Diaries Bring Arkansan Icon to Life
Oh, the lure of a diary. As an avid reader and writer, I’ve often tried to keep one. As a procrastinator and control freak, I don’t make it beyond a week. The commitment to a daily routine and the fear that my secrets (do I have any?) and frank admissions (too many!) would be misconstrued when I can no longer provide context…well, I just can’t. I’m grateful that not everyone feels the same or we would have little to no…
Digitized Oral History Puts Control Back in the Hands of Native Communities
Working for a digitization company that focuses primarily on still media, it’s easy to forget that not all records are written down or photographed. In Native American cultures, oral traditions play a big role in passing stories, history and heritage to the next generation. Unfortunately, as delicate as paper can be, human lives are even more fragile. This makes the passing of these stories critical to the preservation of tribal communities. The University of New Mexico (UNM) has been one…
Things to Bear in Mind When Selecting a Book Scanner
Zeutschel White Paper Offers Technical Considerations for Book Scanner Purchasers From choosing the right book scanning method to choosing the right book scanner, The Crowley Company’s blog posts have covered multiple options for bound media capture. Thanks to a recent white paper written by Zeutschel GmbH technical director, Volker Jansen, prospects can round out their purchasing knowledge with some technical points to bear in mind. Jansen’s full white paper, “Things to Bear in Mind When Selecting a Book Scanner,” is…
Mekel Scanner Production
is Right on Time
First the bad news. “Remember how you couldn’t get toilet paper a year ago? It is the same with microchips right now.” Now the good news. “Our production for this year is on track and we’re still working on standard delivery time – in some cases, one day.” Both quotes are attributed to Crowley’s U.S. director of manufacturing, electrical engineer Jeff Helm, as he responds to questions about the worldwide shortage of manufacturing parts and its effect on Crowley’s Mekel…
Preserving Legacies: Baylor University and the Zeutschel ScanStudio
Beyond the fountain of youth or the holy grail, digitization is one of the best tools for fighting mortality. If this seems like an overly romantic train of thought, it is. But in a world where our stories are our legacy, the written word – and creating a long-living, high-quality replication of that word – becomes life beyond death. Baylor University’s Ray I. Riley Digitization Center (RDC) preserves the legacies of various artists and histories through their capture and digital…
Zeutschel Ps and Qs at Maine State Library
The Zeutschel OS Q Scanner adds Production Capabilities to Maine State Library’s Digital Preservation Program A few weeks past, The Crowley Company hosted a series of well-attended Zeutschel OS Q online demo events to introduce this impressive A0-A2 overhead and cultural heritage scanner series to an audience that is still largely non-traveling. One of the highlights of the event was a live use-case discussion with Adam Fisher, Director of Collections, Digital Initiatives and Promotion for the Maine State Library (MSL)….
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…
Archiving Washington: The People’s Archive Creates Accessible D.C. History
Timing is a funny thing. After learning about the journey of The People’s Archive (originally known as the Special Collections department of the DC Public Library) and their mission to create more efficient digitization, timing seems to look less funny and more like fate (or really good planning). Over the past few years, the DC Public Library’s archive staff has laid significant groundwork for advancing their digitization and customer service. Essential elements of this plan came together just in time…
Digitizing Scientific Research at The Rockefeller Archive Center
If there is anything that life and Christopher Nolan movies has taught me, it is that there are no absolute heroes; even the most exemplar person has faults and the gruffest of characters can have compassion. Case in point: John D. Rockefeller, Senior (Rockefeller, Sr.). Living his living life between the worlds of shrewd oil tycoon and diligent philanthropist, Rockefeller used much of his fortune financing scientific research that sought to eradicate specific social and physical diseases, some of which…