Archive for the ‘Digitization Services’ Category
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…
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…
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…
Digitizing Decades of German Choral Notes
Crowley Imaging has had the opportunity to work with many remarkable organizations over its 30+ years in business. Not many of those, however, can boast award-winning singing talent. This past summer, we were able to preserve German culture and heritage by working with the Washington Saengerbund to digitize some of their historic records. History of the Saengerbund The Washington Saengerbund [1] is “the oldest German singing society in the Washington [D.C.] area.” Founded in 1851 by a group of young German-American…
Donations Fund Newspaper Archive Scanning Project
Editor’s note: We love when blogs write themselves. In this case, credit goes to Eric Mease of the Historical Society of Cecil County and Maryland’s Cecil Whig, one of the country’s oldest newspapers, for an article published earlier this week. The article featured a newspaper digitization project for which Crowley Imaging performed the scanning. Microfilm images were digitized using the Mekel Technology MACH5 rollfilm scanner and the fragile bound newspapers were scanned using Zeutschel overhead scanners. The archived newspapers dated…
Digitizing the Lawson Love Letters
They saw each other nine times and on the ninth, it was their wedding day. And as odd as it may sound, Audrey Ann Hoffman and William A. (Bill) Lawson were hardly strangers. After 30 months of courtship and 600 typed and handwritten letters, they knew each other so well that what might seem a leap of faith today was just another step forward for the couple that met through the dare of a friend. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson celebrated…
Digitization Discoveries: Uncovering a Skeleton at Penn
There are many reasons to digitize collections. Museums and archives primarily digitize for preservation purposes. Government entities and commercial institutions digitize for preservation and to improve records management functions. Libraries may digitize to provide enhanced media and online research access. What is often surprising about digitization projects are the hidden gems uncovered when bringing forgotten or misplaced materials to light. This is exactly the sort of unexpected revelation recently experienced by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Museum of Archaeology and…
Service Bureau Walkabout
In need of a little blog inspiration today, I went to the one location in our Frederick, Md. headquarters that always makes me happy – our Crowley Imaging service bureau. While I’m intrigued by the equipment, manufacturing and technical sides of our business, my artsy right brain loves taking the 26 steps from my desk to the threshold of our imaging division. That 27th step never fails to transport me from desk jockey to treasure hunter. The lights are always…