Digitisation Planning for Museums

Preview:

Citation preview

Casper SmithsonWeds 27th January 2016

Our Partners…

1. Start with formal Goals

2. Communication

3. What to Digitise

4. Image Outputs & Resolutions

5. Plan for Access

Digitisation Planning - 5 Key Points

Start with Formal Goals Specify the desired outcomes

for the project

Why are you digitising?

Who will be the core users of your digitised archive?

Ideal timescale for completion?

These goals will guide & inform all other planning decisions

Vital to clearly communicate your project goals to your digitisation supplier

Including the end purpose of the digitised images and project deadlines

Ensure the supplier is happy to update you at each stage of the project

Communication

Collections in greatest demand? At greatest risk? Most unique?

Likely a compromise of one of the above and what available budget allows

Good start point: “What if the building was on fire?”

Assess if items are suitable for digitisation – is any conservation needed?

What to Digitise

Selection depends on: Analogue media being digitised End goals of the project

Capture master images in open-source non-proprietary format

We recommend initially capturing to uncompressed RGB Baseline TIFF

Image Output Formats & Resolutions

Creating a digital archive for preservation is great: BUT must be accessible to users

These could be internal staff or external – such as general public

Internal: archive management system? External: online archive website?

Tag metadata to enable effective keyword and category searching

Ensure you own the copyright if publishing digital archive online

Plan for Access

1. Start with formal Goals

2. Communication

3. What to Digitise

4. Image Outputs & Resolutions

5. Plan for Access

Digitisation Planning. Remember…

Look beyond just price per scan

Ensure any quotes being compared are like-for-like

Consider: Type of digitisation equipment

used Image output quality and

interpolation Location of digitisation: UK

based?

Digitisation - Cost vs Value

Funding is often the largest barrier to digitisation projects

But there are funding streams available – even for smaller projects

Mainly charitable trusts and foundations

Funding Sources for Digitisation guide: https://www.townswebarchiving.com/2015/12/sources-funding-for-heritage-digitisation-projects/

Finding Funding

Finding Funding

Preparing for Scanning

On Location or Off-site

The Digitisation Process

Practical Considerations

Info about the collection Condition report? Organised/catalogued? Fold outs or inserts?

Professional digitisation suppliers will want to send someone to assess the collection first

Preparing for Scanning

On Location digitisation Extremely rare/fragile collections Unsafe to move or unacceptable risk Not always suitable for larger materials

(A2+ size)

Off-site digitisation At suppliers imaging studio/lab Better imaging due to controlled

lighting More efficient: avoids set up/calibration *Usually* more cost effective option

On Location or Off-site

Bound Books Gutter Shadowing – Managed lighting Page Curvature – Book cradles Bindings, foldouts and inserts

Microfilm Quality of original images Film degradation

Newspaper/Magazines Creases & folds Paper degradation

Digitising the Materials

Thank You – Questions?

Casper Smithson cs@townswebarchiving.com 01536 713834Follow @TownsWeb on

Twitter

Planning Digitisation Projects: Best practice tipshttps://www.townswebarchiving.com/2014/09/planning-digitisation-projects-a-best-practice-tips/

Sources of Funding for Digitisation projectshttps://www.townswebarchiving.com/2015/12/sources-funding-for-heritage-digitisation-projects/

More useful info and advice:

Recommended