Posts Tagged ‘Digitization’
Metadata in Digitization Projects: Types, Standards, and Best Practices
Metadata in digitization projects is a critical element that most people overlook. Without well-structured metadata, digitized collections quickly become difficult to manage, search, and reuse. Metadata enables organizations to locate files, understand how they were created, and maintain the integrity of digital assets over time. For archives, libraries, museums, and corporate records departments, consistent metadata ensures that digital collections remain searchable, organized, and usable long after the original digitization project is complete. Understanding Metadata in Digitization Projects At a high…
Preservation vs. Access: Understanding the Difference
In conversations about digitization, two words surface again and again: preservation and access. They are two sides of the same coin, and understanding the distinction is essential for any organization responsible for safeguarding information, history, or institutional memory. Whether you are responsible for archival collections, government records, academic libraries, or corporate documents, long-term success depends on finding the right balance between the two. Preservation ensures that materials will be available for future generations, while access allows people to use and…
What Is Digital Preservation?
An Introduction to Long-Term Access, Authenticity, and Sustainability in Digitization Projects
Many people use the terms digital preservation and digitization as if they mean the same thing, but they are quite different. Scanning a document or converting film to a digital file is just the beginning. True digital preservation is what keeps that file accurate, accessible, and usable for years—sometimes decades—into the future. For organizations that care for records, archives, or cultural heritage collections, digital preservation is essential. It is the foundation that protects the investment in digitization and ensures that…
The Zeutschel OS C-Series Continues, Stronger Than Ever
The following The Zeutschel OS C-Series Continues, Stronger Than Ever blog from February 2026 has been edited by The Crowley Company and re-posted with permission from Crowley’s longtime partner, Zeutschel GmbH in Tubingen, Germany. The Crowley Company has been a distributor of Zeutschel GmbH large format, book, cultural heritage and camera system scanners for over 25 years. With the sale of the very last unit, the first generation of the Zeutschel OS C-Series scanner has officially come to an end….
The Gift of Speed: C400 Aperture Card Digitization
Cohen Anderson, nuclear records specialist for Southern Nuclear, in front of their C400 aperture card scanner. Technology is a universal hot ticket item for the holidays. For those in the digitization world, it is more than popular, it is necessary. With ever-evolving technology, collection custodians are faced with the task of finding the best scanners with the latest features and image quality while staying within their budget. Last December, Southern Nuclear, a nuclear energy facility based in Birmingham, AL, found…
Honoring A Legacy: Celebrating 50 Years of Mekel Technology
You might expect a company in the business of preservation to have an extensive archive of its own history. Surprisingly, that’s not always the case. As Mekel Technology, a Crowley Company, (also known as Mekel Engineering until 1999) celebrates its 50th anniversary, we find ourselves reflecting on a remarkable journey that began with a small team of visionaries and on the importance of preserving the history that brought us together. From its modest beginnings in a garage to becoming leaders…
Preserving Voices: Digitizing Howard University’s Historic Black Newspaper Collection
In a landmark move that bridges the past and present, Howard University, through its Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) and in collaboration with Howard’s Center for Journalism and Democracy, has embarked on an ambitious project to digitize its historic Black newspaper collection. This effort, powered by a significant partnership with The Crowley Company (Crowley), represents a monumental stride towards making thousands of Black publications accessible in a global digital repository. It’s a project that not only promises to unlock the vast narratives…
Mount Vernon’s Digital Decade:
10 Years of Scanning Projects with The Crowley Company
Nearly 10 years after The Crowley Company’s (Crowley) original blog on digitizing collections with George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the two institutions continue to share the legacy of George and Martha through digital preservation. Since then, Crowley has assisted in six Mount Vernon scanning projects (producing over 20,000+ digital images). While the materials have changed and the technology has advanced, the process and partnership have remained constant. In honor of the first ever State of the Union address (given by George…
Innovating Tradition: Belmont University’s Special Collections Digitization
Belmont University Scans School and Alumni History using the Zeutschel OS C Book Scanner Established in 1890 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University began providing women with not just an education but a platform for cultural, intellectual and social development. In doing so, the university set what would become its legacy for innovation and embracing change. The university’s latest step towards technological innovation — the purchase of a Zeutschel OS C overhead book scanner — both advances the…
Meet Kitty Lamberger, Digitization Road Warrior
Crowley’s Onsite Scanning Services Enhance Client Comfort While Providing Valuable Life Experience If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that this blog typically features individuals who are of historic importance and/or tied to a specific archival collection. In today’s post, we take a short departure (departure being the key word!) to introduce Kitty Lamberger, a vital member of The Crowley Company’s Digitization Services’ onsite scanning team. Kitty has traveled the U.S. from coast to coast, leaving friends and family for…