Archive for the ‘Digitization Products’ Category
Celebrating Alastair
Wicks and Wilson Purchasing Manager Retires with 35 Years Alastair Fitzroy Blair has worked for Wicks and Wilson since January 31, 1983. This Friday, on July 27th, he will wrap up 35 years with one company and a total of 47 years in purchasing for industrial firms in the Basingstoke, UK area. His is a story of many which often goes untold; a quiet hero who does his job well, day in and day out, serving with loyalty, for the…
Digitized Court Records Increase Efficiency and Access
Court trials have long been a topic of public fascination in America starting with the first recorded murder trial on U.S. soil in 1800 and, more recently, in true crime documentaries like Making a Murderer and The Staircase (my most recent Netflix binge watch). While internally debating the guilt or innocence of Michael Peterson, it reminded me that digitized court records such as licenses, dockets, deeds, wills, laws, case dispositions, subpoenas and other information are crucial in accurately creating a usable record of history…
What the FADGI %*#&!? Part Three: Selecting Equipment to Achieve FADGI Compliance
Part One (Understanding Basics) and Part Two (Is FADGI for Everyone?) of our FADGI blog series have laid the groundwork for this final piece of the puzzle – understanding the equipment needs for capturing images that achieve FADGI standards. I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Part Three, so here we are at last. To aid in my own understanding, I recruited the expertise of Crowley’s in-house technical guru on all things FADGI, Corin van de Griek. Corin…
What the FADGI %*#&!? Part Two: Is FADGI for Everyone?
Lesson from my parents: Just because it’s cool doesn’t make it right. As a teen, this advice was definitely not well-received. A few decades removed, I can more appreciate the sentiment (and also the fact that it was more likely budget-driven than about taking the moral high road). It might be a bit of a stretch, but FADGI is cool…and it also isn’t (yet) for everyone. Recap: What is FADGI? In Part One of this series, we identified FADGI as a…
What the FADGI %*#&!? (Part One: Understanding Basics)
March Madness may be the talk of the water cooler this week, but we’ve bigger fish to fry in the imaging world (subliminal Lenten reference). One of today’s hottest topics is the evolution of digital imaging standards, which is being prodded into daily conversation by the increasing push to meet FADGI – Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative – compliance. It’s simple. It’s complex. It’s confusing. It’s a work in progress. The good news is that there is increasing recognition – specifically among federal…
Olympic Lineup: New UScan+ UF-Series Offers More Options for Microfilm Reader Printer Replacements
I didn’t realize the importance I placed on the Olympics until Pyeongchang 2018 began seeping into my subconscious thoughts far beyond prime time hours. When Crowley unveiled the latest model in the UScan+ microfilm reader printer replacement scanner series, the UScan+ HD LTE, I couldn’t help but compare the new lineup to a diversely-skilled Olympic team. Each model’s specific set of features propels the team (or series) toward the podium for best value in the microfilm reader printer class. Reader printers…
Digitizing The Reporter: Archives of Akron’s Only African American Newspaper Online
Each February, Crowley highlights a digitization project that has bearing on Black History Month. Today we feature the newspaper digitization of The Reporter, which has been documenting the African American community in Akron, Ohio since 1969. Past posts discuss an 1841 edition of the Morning Star, a Freewill Baptist publication that advocated for abolition, the digitized records of The Central Lunatic Asylum for Colored Insane and the research of tax assessment and slave records of Cecil County, Maryland. Each project, including…
Moving on Up: Four Questions to Ask Before Upgrading Your Mekel Scanner
As a consumer, I’m weary of constantly evolving technology. Keeping up with “state-of-the-art” is frustrating, particularly when you invest in a purchase only to find a newer model is instantly available, making your “new” technology old. This leads to significant “tech-FOMO” (Fear Of Missing Out). Fortunately, if you own a Mekel Technology brand scanner I’m here to give you a little “tech-POMO” (Peace Of Mind, Obviously). During my time in the tech service department – where many of the book, document and…
From Vegas to the Kitchen Sink
We’re entering 2018 at a fast pace. I noticed this in my own work as I received replies to emails with “Happy New Year” and thinking, “Oh, right, it’s a new year….” My lack of social graces aside, I’m happy to be hitting the ground running, trying to keep up with this good company I call home. After a short and productive holiday break, The Crowley Company is full steam ahead on all fronts: manufacturing; scanner sales; and digitization services….
BIS, Grayson County College and a Bottle of Red…
October is American Archives Month, a celebration of America’s history and the archivists, organizations and physical buildings that keep them safe and available to the world at large. Each week this month we’ll highlight a facet of how The Crowley Company partners with archivists and historians to help preserve and share American archives. Over the past two weeks, we’ve examined how Crowley scanners have been used to digitize American archives at Wells College and how Crowley Imaging has preserved records for the Daughters of…