Overview of the Smithsonian Libraries digitization process (May 2009).
The scanning equipment, the actualy page-turning...
The pages are turned mannually... what happens if you get your arm caught in the machine when the glass cover comes down?
I liked the imagery of linking back to the old printing press, how far we've come etc. But it would have been great to see how they digitally enhanced the images before release.
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Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteMy blog is also about digitisation, but I hadn't come across this footage from the Smithsonian.
The technology is amazing. I'm not sure which scanner this is. Google have been using Elphel 323 cameras, which scan 1,000 pages per hour! This explains how they can have scanned about ten million books already.
I have been looking at the ethical and legal questions arising from the Google settlement in the US. Did you know that the Smithsonian upload stuff to the Internet Archive (a non-profit organisation) and are therefore part of the Open Book Alliance, who oppose the Google settlement? This week they have been joined in their fight by Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon.
It could get very interesting!
Julie
Ah the plot thickens! Well in the name of checks and balances and promoting competition, good to see big names weighing into the Google Book Settlement.
ReplyDeleteThese open access and digitisation topics seem to be rich fields that you can really go deep into!
The Google book scanners must turn pages automatically or something to go so fast. I only saw the web site explaning how it corrects for the angle of the scan. Nothing about page turning.
Wonder if any pages ever get missed!!!