Guides to quality in visual resource imaging

The Digital Library Federation (DLF) and Research Libraries Group
(RLG) have issued Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging,
available at <URL:http://www.rlg.org/visguides/>
<URL:http://www.rlg.ac.uk/visguides/> from UK Janet sites).  This
new Web-based reference is designed to serve the growing community
of museums, archives, and research libraries that are turning to
digital conversion to provide greater access to their visual
resources as well as to help preserve the original materials.
"Visual resources" include original photographs, prints, drawings,
and maps. Both project managers and technicians will find the Guides
particularly valuable in filling a gap in the literature for serious
digital imaging projects. They provide concrete guidelines as well
as help in addressing rapidly changing aspects of technology and
practice.

The five guides--which range from project planning to scanner
selection, considerations for imaging systems, digital master
quality, and masters' storage--share the experience and knowledge of
leaders in this field. In addition to providing advice based on the
uses to which the images will be put and the technology now
available, they also flag areas where further research and testing
are needed.

   "Guides such as these promise to maximize effective exploitation
    of digital technologies while minimizing costly redundant
    effort," said Dan Greenstein, DLF's director. "The development
    and maintenance of good practice guidelines is an essentially
    collaborative effort requiring inclusive and iterative
    evaluation. We welcome comments, criticisms, and amendments for
    incorporation in future revisions."

The Guides are the outcome of a project begun by DLF and RLG in
1998, when they created an editorial board of experts to review the
state of the art in digital imaging of visual resources. Although
sources for instruction in digitizing text or text and images
existed (and more have become available since then), none
specifically addressed the challenges of two- and three-dimensional
as well as color-intensive materials. These experts outlined a set
of guides needed in the science of imaging?objective measures for
image qualities and how they can be controlled in various aspects of
the imaging process. DLF then commissioned board-recommended authors
to write the guides, which the two organizations have now jointly
published.

   "We are very pleased that this collaboration between the Digital
    Library Federation and the Research Libraries Group has produced
    a set of expert and timely tools for project leaders and their
    teams around the world," said Linda West, RLG's director of
    Member and Programs Initiatives. "It is a contribution to
    informed and long-lasting digital decision-making and practices
    in research collections."

The five guides are:

    Planning a Digital Imaging Project, by Linda Serenson Colet,
    Museum of Modern Art

    Selecting a Scanner, by Don Williams, Eastman Kodak Company

    Imaging Systems: the Range of Factors Affecting Image Quality,
    by Donald D'Amato, Mitretek Systems

    Measuring Quality of Digital Masters, and

    File Formats for Digital Masters, both by Franziska Frey, Image
    Permanence Institute

Each guide is a module that can stand on its own; as a set, the
guides provide comprehensive advice on how to find what an imaging
team needs to accomplish stated goals with the available technology.
The Guides also help to clarify the consequences of trade-offs that
all managers must make to stay within organizations' means.  The
Guides will be updated periodically.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:6
                   Distributed: Friday, July 21, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-6-006
                                  ***