Message-Id: <mailto:199511061851.MAA09395@library.wustl.edu> Date: Mon, 6 Nov 1995 12:48:45 CST From: "Bruemmer, Bruce" <mailto:BRUCE@FS1.ITDEAN.UMN.EDU> Subject: Justifying Hi-Res scans To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
I am working on an experimental project to digitize a 3000 image photo collection. I am planning to outsource the scanning for the sake of quality. The chief end-product of this project is to enhance access to the collection by issuing an image catalog (either on the Web or a separate CD-ROM). Insofar as the project is concerned, I really only need low-res scans for thunbnails and larger shots that would fill an SVGA screen.Since I am outsourcing the scanning (and most of it will be photo CD), I thought I might as well obtain a high resolution scan to 1) back up the originals, 2) make available hi-res scans for publication so I don't need to touch the original or the negative, and 3) have a high res scans for God-knows-what-else comes in the future. I do not plan to make the high-res scans freely available.
The question: My boss thinks high resolution scanning is a waste of time and money (mostly money). He says that in his experience, only publishers will make use of such scans, and the price of scanning does not justify keeping a huge inventory of high-res scans justfor a few requests from publishers. I think that this is short sighted and the savings will be penny-wise and pound foolish. I will get more cost information to satify my curiosity, but does anyone have an opinion or faced a similar attitude?? Bruce H. Bruemmer Archivist Charles Babbage Institute 103 Walter Library University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455
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