At my previous position at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (www.cspm.org) we undertook a project to publish the collection database online to improve public access which involved the use of digital images from a camera and from scans. The camera was used to capture images of the
three-dimensional objects during registration. Additionally we developed a procedure to scan two-dimensional works in the Archival Collection at the Starsmore Center for Local History, including glass-plate negatives, ephemera, and so on.
In order to maintain quality and consistency we developed digital scanning procedures by examining what the National Archives was doing and by conferring with the Denver Public Library which has a large digitization project underway. Here is the meat of those standards:
*RESOLUTION: All items are scanned at 300 DPI
*SIZE: images are scaled so that the longest dimension is 10 inches; the other dimension is allowed to fall where it may proportionately. This is analogous to having full-frame 8”x10” prints made regardless of the size of the original.
*IMAGE DEPTH: black and white images are scanned at 8 bits, the standard for rendering greyscale images in 256 shades of grey. Color images are scanned at 24 bits which is considered the minimum for rendering “true color.”
*FILE TYPE: TIF files are created in standard byte order. This format saves a tremendous amount of data and has been the press industry's standard for a long time due to image quality. These images are archived and also parsed down into JPG files which are stored by the collection database
and for ease of delivery on the web. JPG files are a web-standard compressed file format which are substantially smaller with relatively good image quality.
*STORAGE: The hi-res TIF files are archived onto CDs using an over-the-counter CD ROM burner. This medium is very stabile, inexpensive, and considered archival. Images 10 inches long scanned at 300 DPI are quite large, especially if they are color, somewhere around 20-25 megabytes. A CD
will store about 625 megabytes (after formatting) which enables storage of about 30 images per CD on average at a cost of about $1.00 per disc. The JPG files were parsed down and optimized to about 20 kilobytes each and actually embedded in database and on the web server.
I am pleased to tell you that the Roswell Museum and Art Center is undertaking an initiative to digitize 23 volumes of Dr. Robert Goddard’s notes created in his development of liquid-fueled rockets. Additionally, steps are being taken to begin digital imaging of our collection.
Though not a member of the list, please send an email if I can lend any additional advice.
Scott
--
Scott A. Wright, Registrar
Roswell Museum & Art Center
[log in to unmask]
http://www.roswellmuseum.org
"Michael J. Riley, Ph.D." wrote:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Inquiry: Digital Images
> Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 16:49:34 -0500
> From: Jay Brennan Pattison <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
>
> We at the Cincinnati Art Museum are now engaged in the planning stages of a
> project that I know must be familiar to many of you: developing a database
> of digital images of objects in the permanent collection. It would be of
> immense help to our Digital Image Task Force if those of you who have had
> experience in this area would share some information about how digital
> imaging has been approached at your institutions. Specifically, we would
> like to know the following:
>
> 1. Have you chosen to scan images at high resolution, low resolution, or
> some combination of the two? What intended uses of the images informed
> your choice of image quality? More specifically, if you have chosen to
> create high-resolution image files, how do you plan to use them (e.g. in-
> house publications, external publication requests, merchandise)?
>
> 2. How are your image files stored and how are they accessed? What led to
> your choice of storage medium?
>
> 3. What storage format (JPEG, TIFF, EPS, etc.) was used?
>
> 4. Were the images scanned by an outside vendor or was the work done in-
> house? Did the project require hiring additional staff members? If so,
> how many were required?
>
> 5. What department or staff member is responsible for updating the
> database with new images and general maintenance?
>
> 6. What is the approximate number of objects in your institution's
> collection?
>
> I would appreciate any help you can provide. Please respond either to the
> list or off-line at:
>
> email: [log in to unmask]
> tel: (513) 639-2909
> fax: (513) 639-2996
>
> Thanks so much,
>
> Jay Brennan Pattison
> Associate Registrar
> Cincinnati Art Museum
>
> =========================================================
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>
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--
Scott A. Wright, Registrar
Roswell Museum & Art Center
http://www.roswellmuseum.org
=========================================================
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