Savoy Archive: Leading the Digitization Pack with the Zeutschel OS Q0

The following blog, authored by Marquet Nuria at the Département Savoie, is reposted with permission. The Département Savoie (Savoy) is located in Chambéry, France and employs the Zeutschel OS Q0 cultural heritage scanner in their archival digitization process. The Savoy was one of the first archives in the world to utilize the high quality overhead system. The OS Q series is the next generation of Zeutschel scan system and is an excellent replacement for older generations of large format book scanners. In this case, the Savoy replaced several older scanners with the ultra-efficient OS Q, including an older model Zeutschel.

The archive of the Départment Savoie houses unique historical documents going back centuries. Digitizing these documents represents a central task of the archive. With the acquisition of a cultural heritage scanner from the new Zeutschel OS Q series, the archive is confirming its own aspiration to occupy a pioneering role in digitization.

Historical Treasure Trove of Documents

The Départment Savoie can look back at an eventful history. Besides the Savoy of today, this region also comprised the Aosta Valley, parts of Piedmont as well as the County of Nice in the Middle Ages.

Savoy formed an important part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia which played a decisive role in Italy’s journey to becoming a unified country. After the unification of Italy, the Duchy of Savoy was annexed to France in 1860.

The archive was founded in the same year, with its principal location in Chambéry. Since then, it has administered the documents produced by state institutions over the course of centuries – from the treasury and accounting chamber, via the senate, courts and administrative authorities to hospitals and universities.

Added to this are the private archives of Savoy families, scholars, associations and of course the birth register. The archive collects and keeps this extensive variety of historical documents. In addition, the originals are to be made available to a wider public.

The Right Equipment for High Standards

The digitization of its stocks is of great significance to the archive. Some of the digitization work has been outsourced. However, for its especially valuable and fragile originals, the archive relies on its own expertise acquired over decades.

The bar it sets itself is very high. “Digitization doesn’t mean just taking a photo or making a photocopy. Digitization requires the right equipment and the right skills”, explains Patrick Boubin, Head of the Digitization Department.

The archive therefore decided to procure a Zeutschel overhead scanner of the latest generation, the OS Q0.

The image quality, fast scanning and image processing options offered by the software were the deciding factors. “We are one of the first archives in the world to use this high-tech model”, emphasizes Anita Gitton-Besenval, Departmental Head and responsible for technical questions.

Further benefits are its quiet operation and ergonomic controls. The Zeutschel OS Q0 digitizes archive documents gently and in the highest quality up to A0 format.

The new options offered by the scanner have further revitalized the archive’s digitization activities. There are already 4.8 million pages and 25,000 images available online on the archive’s website.

About the Zeutschel OS Q

The Zeutschel OS Q series is the latest scanner generation from this global market leader from Tübingen. It sets new standards in the digitization of large formats in terms of image quality and process efficiency. The image quality achieved meets the highest requirements of the ISO 19264-1 digitization standard as well as the Metamorfoze and FADGI guidelines. The OS Q also offers twice the scanning speed of its predecessor, the OS 14000. The modular, flexible scanning system can be easily adapted to fit the relevant assignment with the aid of an optical zoom and numerous scanning systems.

Reposted with permission: Original author of this article: Département de la Savoie – Marquet Nuria – Savoie ou bien – février 2021. Shared Zeutschel GmbH post.