Results from Digitization Survey
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Colleagues:
We are looking to replace our current equipment for digitizing our special collections, and would like to
know what other Oberlin Group libraries are using.
Items to be digitized include:
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books of various sizes (some of them fragile and/or warped),
large maps and documents,
newspapers (both bound and loose), and
other archival items.
What equipment are you using for these purposes?
What is the quality and size of the digital files you are producing.
Haverford
Here is what we have for digitization equipment:
The overhead book scanner we just purchased is the Zeutschel Zeta 'comfort,' which we purchased from
Crowley. It will scan up to 18.9" x 14.2"; we also purchased a book holder for the scanner so that we
could scan more fragile materials without opening the bindings fully.
We have two Plustek OpticBook 3800 scanners, which scan 8.5"x11" and have a book edge.
We have two Epson Perfection 4490 scanners, which we use to scan most of our photographs, slides,
negatives, etc. They scan up to 8.5"x11" and are probably the most frequently used of our digitization
materials.
We have Epson Expression 10,000 XL, which scans an area of 12"x17", and which was purchased to scan
the larger photographs in our collection.
We also have a Plustek OpticBook A300 which scans an 11"x17" area, and has a book edge. However, I
foresee less use of this machine going forward now that we have the overhead scanner.
Our MFP is an HP Laserjet 700 color, and it prints, copies, and creates PDFs which can be emailed to a
user. Both the copies and the PDFs can be done in color; the size goes up to 11"x17" inches and paper
copies can be printed on letter, legal, and ledger.
In general, we produce files that are 400-600 ppi TIFFs, or 1200 ppi for slide and negatives, from our
scanners. The quality of the PDFs is set by the MFP and can't be changed.
Grinnell
At Grinnell, we rely on three pieces of equipment to meet our digitization needs. The first is an Epson
10000XL flatbed scanner with the optional transparency unit. We use this for scanning print items that
Results from Digitization Survey
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lay flat (it has a scan area of up to 12x17”), photographs, and transparent materials (slides, negatives,
etc.).
We use an Epson Perfection V700 Photo scanner to scan smaller documents and photographs. It also
has a built-in transparency scanner. Between this and the 10000XL, we are able to have two people
scanning at a time, one focusing on smaller photos and documents and the other scanning larger items,
which has been a more efficient use of time.
Our third digitization tool is a Canon Eos 5D Mk II digital camera with two lenses: a 24-105 mm and a 50
mm. We use this to photograph most of our books and many of the large format items that won’t fit on
the scanner, usually maps and posters. We can shoot small pieces of realia as well as maps and other
printed items up to about 2x3 feet in amazing detail.
We save our master files in 300-600 ppi TIFFs, depending on the physical dimensions of the object, and
derive any access versions in JPEG or PDF as needs warrant. Our slide scans are saved as 1200 ppi TIFFs.
Oberlin
***Epson Expression 10,000 XL as a flatbed scanner
***for copystand digital photography we use:
|Nikon D300S digital SLR body; Nikon 60MM f?2.8 D-AF Macro lens; Hoya 62mm HMC circular polarizer
filter; Hoya 62mm MC clear pro 1 filter; Nikon camera control Pro 2 SW Full version; White Lightning
X800 Flash units (2); White Lightning LS3900 13' light stand; White Lightning UMF unit mainframe (2);
Bencher 910-21 Copymate III Tabletop Copystand With Heavy Duty Spring
***use iArchives services for newspapers
***We ALMOST bought a Zeutschel Zeta overhead scanner, but the product was very new and buggy--we backed off at the time (2 years ago), but might consider agai
Davidson
* books of various sizes (some of them fragile and/or warped), - For non-fragile books we use an
Epson 10000XL which has a bed size of roughly 12" x 17". We use it for documents that will fit as well.
* large maps and documents, -Documents and books we are using our Bookeye 4 Bscan overhead
book scanner (Bed size is 16X24). It's primary purpose is ILL scanning so we use it mostly in the summer.
It is designed for ILL so the workflow is kind of harsh. At some point we may buy the option software
package that will make that more straightforward. We farmed out most of our map scanning
* newspapers (both bound and loose), - either of the above devices
* other archival items. - Photos and negatives. We use the Epson 10000XL with the separately
purchased transparency adapter
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Lafayette
We have several Epson 10000XL (11×17") flatbeds which are used for reflective capture from photos
and non-fragile books which can be laid flat. We do have one transparency unit for these scanners
which we rotate among them on demand, however we tend to prefer the V700, below, for these
purposes. These units are real workhorses.
One Epson V700 photo scanner (8.5×11".) We use this one for most of our transparency needs. We find
it does a better job on those than the 10000XL with transparency adapter, however the 10000XLs
produce somewhat better reflective scans.
Although you don't mention them, for 35mm slides, we are using Nikon 5000ED film scanners (although
they are no longer being manufactured.)
We use SilverFast scanning software with all of the above units and calibrate/profile using IT8 and
HutchColor targets with a variety of software (among them Monaco EZcolor, PictoColor InCamera
Photoshop plugin, and AgyllCMS opensource.)
For fragile books and large items we have been using Canon EOS 5D Mark IIs. For bound materials we
are using a Kaiser cantilevered book cradle which can be configured for two-up 180° degree capture
(with both sides under glass) or one-up 45°-90° capture (with one side under glass.) In this configuration
we use a wall-mounted 60" Kaiser motorized column and (currently) a pair of Kino Flo Diva-Lite 201
fluorescent lights on floor stands. These will be replaced by TTI LED lights in July.
For large items we use a 40×60" TTI vacuum easel on a tilt stand which can be positioned either
horizontally or vertically, lit by a pair of Noth Light 900W HID copy lamps on Noth Light stands. We have
the camera on a Foba camera stand in this setup.
In both camera setups we also use a Zig-Align mirror system to achieve parallelism between the original
and camera. Images are shot as RAW files and then converted to TIFF, with color profiles applied after
RGB conversion using the same color-profiling software as for the scanners.
The Canon is a remarkable camera for the price, however (as with any mosaic sensor) you run into
problems with resolution on larger items and moire patterns when fine, repeating detail approaches the
resolving limit. At its full 21 megapixel frame (5616×3744 px,) you can achieve a 300 ppi resolution on
an original almost 18.75×12.5", however, if the item at that size is four-color printed or contains any
other repeating patterns such as engraving lines, the image will be riddled with moire and other
artifacts. Resolution will, of course, drop dramatically as the size of the original increases. For these
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reasons, we have just purchased a Sinar eXact medium-format back coupled with a TTI repro camera to
replace the Canons in most situations. The Canons will be retained for simultaneous project work not
requiring the larger camera and for portable setup at locations whose materials cannot be easily
transported to our labs.
Per file size: It's going to depend on the linear and bit-depth resolution requirements of your project at
hand, the sizes of the originals, and whether or not you choose to use compression. Coming from a
visual resources background, I have generally used the equivalent digital resolution of a professionalgrade 35mm film slide as a rule for a generally useful, archival-quality image. That works out to an
image approximately 4096×2732 pixels, which would be 300 ppi for an original roughly 13.5×9". An
uncompressed 8-bit TIFF fully that size comes in at 32.8 MB. With lossless LZW compression applied,
roughly 24 MB (which will vary based on actual image content.)
Beloit
Our CIO forwarded your question on to me, so I thought I'd take a stab at offering some information! At
Beloit, we're starting to digitize the types of material you mention more often. I think we need better
equipment to accomplish that, as well, so I've been doing some research into that recently. For flat
items (photos, letters, etc.), we use an Epson 10000XL flatbed, which I would definitely recommend. It's
a great workhorse, and it's large enough to handle some loose newspaper issues and larger format
items.
As far as fragile books go, I'm struggling with the equipment we currently have. I have a Canon Digital
Rebel T1i DSLR rigged on a copystand with lights. I've been using that for books, but it's laborious at best
for a number of reasons. First, we have trouble photographing books this way because of gutter shadow
and difficulty getting pages to lie flat. Second, the lighting system is uncomfortable to work with (we're
using 250W/120v halogen lamps). The lights get incredibly hot.
Needless to say, I'm investigating better systems. For books, there really is no beating a dedicated book
scanner. These are mostly still prohibitively expensive for us. Fujitsu has the SnapScan V600, and I've
heard that some ILL folks are starting to use that. However, I don't think it can capture at a quality
appropriate for archival TIFF images. I believe those scanners run around $700 or so.
I'm now investigating methods for creating our own book scanner. I recently attended a conference
session at which a group of students from the University of Wisconsin library school discussed their
experience building such a scanner for a class. They essentially built it from a kit and estimated the cost
to be around $650. The key would be to get good cameras to mount onto it (they opted for Canon
PowerShot A2400s, but those cannot capture in RAW for conversion to TIFF). The end product was quite
impressive, though. You can read all about that at their project blog:
http://lis644bookscanner.wordpress.com/. Digital photography is hardly my strong suit, but I know to
look for the ability to capture in RAW and at least 15 megapixels (preferably more) effective resolution. I
understand that exposure control (expressed in ISO numbers and/or f-stop numbers, I think) is
important, but those concepts start to go above my head.
As far as digital file size and quality go, they vary widely based upon the characteristics of the object. I
try to follow BCR's CDP Digital Imaging Best Practices guide from 2008 (http://mwdl.org/docs/digitalimaging-bp_2.0.pdf) as much as possible, aiming for a minimum of 4000 pixels across the long side of
Results from Digitization Survey
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most archival master images (though that's not always possible or practical). I'm a fan of Jim Kennedy's
2012 ebook/website on digital imaging best practices (http://archivehistory.jeksite.org/). It provides a
nice, easy-to-read summary and his practice guidelines are based in part upon the CDP document.
Bowdoin
At Bowdoin, prompted by a recent NHPRC grant award to digitize a large manuscript collection that
includes loose papers, scrapbooks, and large bound copybooks, we’ve recently purchased a BookEye 4V
Cradle scanner, which accommodates loose papers and large bound items with ease. (We looked at the
Atiz BookDrive Pro but weren’t enamored with its dual camera array).
We also employ Epson 10000XL and Epson V750 Pro flatbed scanners for loose papers, photographs,
and negatives.
We also employ an SLR (Nikon D80) with tripod or copy stand to shoot very large items, but we have not
been pressed to date to figure out an easel set-up for large posters. We do use an infinity tub or
background screen to photograph realia (mainly mementos) and artists’ books.
Furman
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2 Epson Expression 10,000 XL scanners with slide inserts (12X 17” scan bed)
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1 Epson Perfection V500 Office with sheet feed attachment (8.5” x 11” scan bed)
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1 BookDrive Pro book scanner equipped with 2 Canon Rebel T31 EOS 600D cameras (Can scan up to
16 x 23” bound items)
1 Canon Rebel T31 EOS Camera equipped with a 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens
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Photography studio equipment: Smith Victor KSB-1250F 3-Light 700 watt Fluorescent SoftBox
Light Kit with Mini-Boom, ETC Source Four Mini Stage Ellipsoidal Spot Light 50w 19 Degree Lens,
Impact Background System Kit with 10’x12' Black and White Muslins, and 2 clip lamps
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1 SONY dual cassette tape deck and 1 LiteOn DVD/VHS recorder hooked up to a Canopus box
for digitizing cassettes and VHS
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1 TASCAM dubbing station for the conversion of LPs, DAT tapes, and cassettes to CDs
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6 iMacs
Results from Digitization Survey
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Skidmore
Appendix A: Digitization Hardware
Scanner: Epson 10000XL
(color space is set to Adobe RGB (1998))
Scanner Type: Flatbed color image scanner
Optical Sensor: Color Epson MatrixCCD™ line sensor
Optical Resolution: 2400 dpi
Hardware Resolution: 2400 x 4800 dpi with Micro Step Drive™ technology
Maximum Resolution: 12,800 x 12,800 dpi
Effective Pixels: 87,840 pixels / line (2400 dpi)
Color Bit Depth: 48-bit internal / external1
Grayscale Bit Depth: 16-bit internal / external1
Optical Density: 3.8 Dmax
Maximum Scan Area: 12.2" x 17.2"
Light Source: Xenon gas cold cathode fluorescent lamp
Scanning Speed: 2400 dpi, draft mode
Color: 16.0 msec / line
Grayscale: 5.3 msec / line
Line Art: 5.3 msec / line
Focus Control: AutoFocus optics system (CCD and lens unit)
Software: LaserSoft Imaging™ SilverFast® Ai 6
(The scanner is color calibrated with an ANSI IT-8.7/2-1993 color transmission target every 100 scans or
once a week, whichever occurs first.)
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
(color space is set to Adobe RGB (1998))
Type: Digital, AF/AE single-lens reflex, camera
Recording Media: CF Cards (Type I); Compatible with UDMA CF cards; SD, SDHC, and SDXC Memory
Cards
Image Format: Approx. 36 mm x 24mm (35mm Full-frame)
Compatible Lenses: Canon EF Lenses (excluding EF-S Lenses)
Lens Mount: Canon EF mount
Image Sensor
Type: High-sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor
Pixels
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Effective pixels: Approx. 22.3 megapixels
Pixel Unit: 6.25 µm square
Total Pixels: 23.4 megapixels
Aspect Ratio: 3:2 (Horizontal: Vertical)
Color Filter System: RGB primary color filters
Low Pass Filter: Fixed position in front of the image sensor
Recording System
Recording Format: Design Rule for Camera File System 2.0 and EXIF 2.3
Image Format
Still Image: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon Original), M-RAW, S-RAW, RAW+JPEG, M-RAW+JPEG, SRAW+JPEG
Video: MOV (Image data: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC; Audio: Linear PCM)
File Size
(1) Large: Approx. 22.10 Megapixels (5760 x 3840)
(2) Medium: Approx. 9.80 Megapixels (3840 x 2560)
(3) S1 (Small 1): Approx. 5.50 Megapixels (2880 x 1920)
(4) S2 (Small 2): Approx. 2.50 Megapixels (1920 x 1280)
(5) S3 (Small 3): Approx. 350,000 Pixels (720 x 480)
(6) RAW: Approx. 22.10 Megapixels (5760 x 3840)
(7) M-RAW: Approx. 10.50 Megapixels (3960 x 2640)
(8) S-RAW: Approx. 5.50 Megapixels (2880 x 1920) Exact file sizes depend on the subject, ISO
speed, Picture Style, etc.
Lenses used
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Flash
Canon 580EX II Speedlite E-TTL II Shoe Mount Flash
(Images from the camera are captured in RAW format only and converted in Photoshop – RAW files are
deleted after final edits are completed and master TIFF files have been created. The color space of the
camera is set to Adobe RGB (1998))
Other Equipment
Breeze Systems DSLR Remote Pro for Windows
(used for controlling the camera functions on a laptop when shooting on the copy stand or on the studio
table)
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Kodak Q-13 target (assists with accurate color rendition)
Kaiser RB-5004_HF High Frequency Daylight Copy Light Set (Kaiser 5558)
Operating Frequency: 40 kHz appx.
Lamps: 4 x 36 Watts
Color Temperature: 5400 K / CRI 98
Kaiser 3431 proVision 6.55 HF (Kaiser 3431)
Operating frequency: 40 kHz appx.
Lamps: 6 x 55 Watts
Color Temperature: 5400 K / CRI 90-100
Display
Monitors: NEC MultiSync PA271W
Specifications
Panel Technology: IPS
Viewable Image Size: 27"
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Native Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Pixel Pitch: 0.23mm
Pixels Per Inch: 109@ native resolution
Backlight Type: CCFL
Brightness (typical): 300cd/m2
Contrast Ratio (typical): 1000:1
Viewing Angle (typical): 178° Vert., 178° Hor. (89U/89D/89L/89R) @ CR>10
Response Time (typical): 7ms
Color Gamut
Adobe RGB Coverage/Size: 97.1% / 107.2%
NTSC Coverage/Size: 92.6% / 102.5%
sRGB Coverage/Size: 100% / 144.7%
Lookup Table
14-bit (3D)
Displayable Colors
1.07 billion out of 4.3 trillion
Monitor calibration: NEC SpectraSensor Pro using NEC SpectraView II software (monitors are calibrated
every two weeks).
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