Message-Id: <200010060620.XAA16890@dns.ccit.arizona.edu> Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 08:20:14 +0200 From: Emil Levine <mailto:emil.levine@CHELLO.AT> Subject: Film vs Image vs COM To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
<pre>
Sorry I do not have the full citation but Anne Kenney has addressed some of
these issues of COM/film in her excellent research from Cornell.
Emil Levine
----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Oliver <mailto:ruth.oliver@NATLIB.GOVT.NZ>
To: <mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2000 4:36 AM
Subject: Re: LC National Digital Library Program announces 2nd release
oftheBell Papers
> Thanx for sending me a blind copy; I often find that I don't have time to
read this notice board so when you point things out to me I'm really happy
to make sure I do find time to read it.
> R
>
> >>> mailto:David.Adams@natlib.govt.nz 10/06/00 01:33 >>>
> It was of interest to note the 'scan first' approach in the Bell Papers
project.
>
> In a previous project (The George Washington Papers) the manuscripts were
microfilmed first and then the microfilms were digitized.
>
> I have a few questions:
> 1. Was an archival microfilm (COM) produced for the Bell Papers from the
digitized images?
> 2. Why microfilm one collection first but not the other?
> (was this because a microfilm already existed for the Washington Papers,
or this gave the opportunity to trial both the 'scan first' and 'film first'
hybrid approaches)
>
>
> I would also like to say how well (in both clarity and efficiency) these
collections are being delivered via the Internet.
>
> David Adams
> Team Leader Copying Services
> National Library of New Zealand
> +64 4 4743151
> Visit "Timeframes" New Zealands leading source of heritage images
> http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz/
>
> >>> mailto:tswo@LOC.GOV 09/30/00 09:26 >>>
> This message is being widely posted
> ********************************************
>
> The Library of Congress National Digital Program and the Manuscript
> Division announce the second release of digital images of the Alexander
> Graham Bell Family Papers at the following url:
>
> http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/.
>
> National Digital Library staff continues to work on digital production
> activities, and the completed version of this online collection will
> ultimately represent a portion selected from the original Bell Papers
> and comprise approximately 4700 items, totaling about 38,000 images.
>
> The second release contains over 4500 items consisting of
> correspondence, scientific notebooks, journals, blueprints, sketches,
> and photographs documenting Bell's invention of the telephone and his
> involvement in the first telephone company, his family life, his
> interest in the education of the deaf, and his aeronautical and other
> scientific research. Included among Bell's papers are his first sketch
> of the telephone and pages from an experimental notebook, dated March
> 10, 1876, that describe the first successful experiment with the
> telephone, during which he spoke through the instrument to his
> assistant, Thomas Watson, the famous words, "Mr. Watson-- Come here -- I
> want to see you." Also included in this update are Bell's notes and
> photographs of his aeronautical work and correspondence from such noted
> individuals as Helen Keller, Marie Curie, Edward Gallaudet, Joseph
> Henry, William James, and Guglielmo Marconi.
>
> Digitizing the Collection
>
> The selection of the Bell Papers was scanned as 300 dpi grayscale images
> which were compressed using JPEG compression, producing images in the
> JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF). Typically, the National Digital
> Library Program (NDLP) has used grayscale to digitize historical
> manuscripts because of its ability to capture and display the diversity
> of tones in manuscript papers and the varying nuances produced by
> handwriting, pencil, and ink. The grayscale format can also often
> suppress the bleedthrough typical of handwritten documents in the Bell
> Papers. Because JPEG images require considerable time to download,
> grayscale GIF images were created as well for convenient access using
> the NDLP page-turner feature. The materials were scanned onsite by the
> NDLP paper scanning and text conversion contractor. UMAX flatbed
> scanners were used to digitize most of the manuscripts after this
> procedure was approved by the Conservation Division, and an overhead
> Phase I camera was used for bound and oversize materials. A few items
> were also digitized by staff from the Library's Information Technology
> Services (ITS) Scan Lab. The Bell team, ITS Scan Lab, and Systems
> Integration Group staff worked with the Library's conservators to ensure
> proper handling of the manuscripts during the physical processing of the
> collection and subsequent scanning.
>
> Because efforts were made to preserve the look of the original
> documents, digital images reflect their original physical condition as
> well. Due to age and past handling, many of the original materials are
> discolored, stained, or fragile. Their digital images therefore may
> show discolorations, heavy fold markings, and various tones in the
> paper. Those items made from unusually thin paper sometimes show
> bleedthrough--where the ink or printing on the verso (back) of a page
> can be seen on the recto (front)--which even the grayscale format could
> not suppress. Additionally, a few letters written on colored paper have
> produced images darker than usual because they have been digitized in
> grayscale format and not in color. Some digital images of
> correspondence appear to have light or faded text that might be
> difficult to read. This is often because either the handwriting strokes
> are very thin or the ink or pencil has faded on the original materials.
> Finally, some of the photographs either have faded over time or were
> originally dark and, consequently, their digital images may be dark as
> well.
>
> Roughly half of the collection consists of original typescript letters
> and documents, correspondence with transcripts, and other printed items.
> These typescript materials were converted to machine-readable form at an
> accuracy rate of 99.95 percent and encoded with Standard Generalized
> Markup Language (SGML), according to the American Memory Document Type
> Definition (DTD). This DTD is a markup scheme that conforms to the
> guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), the work of a
> consortium of scholarly institutions. The text of the transcripts and
> original typescripts has been translated to HTML for indexing and
> viewing on the World Wide Web.
>
> This collection is being made available through the generous support of
> the AT&T Foundation.
>
> Please direct any questions about American Memory collections to
mailto:NDLPCOLL@loc.gov
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