Message-Id: <199610231546.KAA09567@library.wustl.edu> Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 11:39:43 -0400 From: Joel Wolfson <mailto:DigiWolf@AOL.COM> Subject: Scanning rare books, digital capture To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> 1) We have some old (ie, 100-150 years), rare volumes in Special
>> collections that we'd like to begin digitizing. But the bindings are
tight >> and we don't want to damage them. We can not open them and lay them flat
on >> our flatbed scanners. Are there scanners that would allow us to work with
>> such volumes?
Yes. For similar situations to this I have advised people to use a digital camera and preferably a dedicated copy stand. Using a linear array camera will yield the highest resolution (some will yield up to a 7000 X 7000 pixel image which equals or exceeds film resolution). The dedicated stands make life much easier and if you get a model with trans-illumination you now also have a film scanner. This is often a good way to justify the costs. You have a camera for 3-D objects as well as a scanner for books, flat art, transparencies, negatives, etc. Bear in mind also, that as a rule, a GOOD digital camera will yield better results than using film and scanning it. The generational quality of digital capture is often overlooked as are some of the other benefits such as dynamic range, color accuracy, and general flexibility.
Joel Wolfson Imaging Consulting & Services 3610 N. Stone Crest Street Flagstaff, AZ 86004-6811 Phone: (520) 526-3726 E-mail: mailto:digiwolf@infomagic.com