I asked for help in December about the digitisation of architectural
plans (incidentally list members were extremely helpful in formulating
our project proposal to NOF - many thanks!).  For conservation reasons
we've decided to use a digital camera for this project rather than any
form of scanner - despite the disadvantages in staff time etc.  This was
following advice from the London Metropolitan Archives & British
Library, where cameras are used for the same reason.  Our plans are very
friable and delicate archival items, and though the project is supposed
to be primarily for content creation for the National Grid for Learning,
the preservation spin-off is obviously a major concern for us!

We use BAS of Wilmslow for our microfilm supplies (equipment &
consumables) and they had quite a good deal before Christmas on a
microfilm scanner which sounded a pretty good piece of kit.  I haven't
got the details to hand, unfortunately, but could dig them out if anyone
is interested.

Sarah Wickham
Assistant Archivist
Lambeth Palace Library
London.  SE1 7JU
+ 44 171 898 1400
+ 44 171 898 1299 (direct)
+ 44 171 928 7932 (fax)
[log in to unmask]

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dr Paul S. Ell [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:	Friday, January 07, 2000 11:18 AM
> To:	[log in to unmask]
> Subject:	Book page and microfilm scanners
> 
> Dear All,
> 	The Centre for Data Digitisation and Analysis has 
> considerable experience in the OCR'ing of 'difficult' historical 
> material ranging from numbers in nineteenth-century census 
> volumes to a complex dictionary of lowland Scots.
> 	We are now beginning to digitise material which is in a 
> delicate state and cannot be placed on a flatbed scanner. For 
> much material we wish to use a book page scanner but some 
> material is so precious that we only have copies of it on 
> microfilm. Consequently we intend to purchase a book page 
> scanner and a microfilm scanner.
> 	I wonder if members of the list have experience of using 
> this equipment and could recommend hardware?
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Paul
> Listowner
> 
> PS Best wishes for 2000. Over the holidays the list recruited 
> its 500th member (now 503) making it by far the most popular 
> history list at mailbase.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Dr Paul S. Ell
> Director
> The Centre for Data Digitisation and Analysis
> School of Sociology and Social Policy
> The Queen's University of Belfast
> Belfast
> BT7 1NN
> 
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> WWW: www.qub.ac.uk/cdda/
> Discussion list: www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/history-digitisation
> Phone: +44 (0)28  90273408
> FAX: +44 (0)28 90320668
> ______________________________________________________________
> 


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