Beginning an Imaging Program: Achieving Success and Avoiding the Pitfalls – Archivists Edition

Beginning an Imaging Program: Achieving Success and Avoiding the Pitfalls – Archivists Edition

Raymond K. Cunningham, Jr. CRM, CA, MITManager of Records Services

University of Illinois Foundationhttp://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~rcunning/imaga.ppt

Parts of this Presentation

• I. Thinking about Document Imaging• II. Elements of Document Imaging• III. Internet Distribution • IV. Avoiding the Pitfalls• V. A Tour of a Document Imaging

Operation• VI. Imaging and Document Distribution

Projects

Part I

Thinking about Document Imaging – Developing an Overview

Document Imaging

• Success or Failure depends on factors that you can control

Document Imaging

• Success or Failure depends on factors that you can control

• Do not think of Document Imaging in isolation - imaging is a part of an overall document management program that includes electronic records, microforms and paper

Document Imaging is for Document Distribution

• Document imaging is not for long term archival storage

Document Imaging is for Document Distribution

• Document imaging is not for long term archival storage

• Document imaging must enhance workflow, not impede it

Document Imaging is for Document Distribution

• Document imaging is not for long term archival storage

• Document imaging must enhance workflow, not impede it

• Document imaging is not the electronic equivalent of microfilm

Implementation of a Document Imaging Program

• Begin by Defining your Audience

Define your Audience

• Who are you distributing images to???

Define your Audience

• Who are you distributing images to???• Genealogists, researchers, students,

alumni, perhaps internally to your organization

Define your Audience

• Who are you distributing images to???• Genealogists, researchers, students,

alumni, perhaps internally to your organization

• What are the technical limitations of that audience?

Define your Audience

• Who are you distributing images to???• Genealogists, researchers, students,

alumni, perhaps internally to your organization

• What are the technical limitations of that audience?

• Will your audience view the images via the Internet, within your archives or within the organization?

Define your Audience

• Who are you distributing images to???• Genealogists, researchers, students, alumni,

perhaps internally to your organization• What are the technical limitations of that

audience?• Will they view the images via the Internet,

within your archives or within the organization?

• How complex do you want your presentation

Implementation of a Document Imaging Program

• Start by Defining your Audience• Target a record and think small

Target a Record and Think Small

• Choose a record that will be used and impact your request load.

• Look for something that is simple• If you are distributing on the Internet, think

visibility• Consider photographs or significant small

manuscripts collections

Implementation of a Document Imaging Program

• Begin by Defining your Audience• Target a record and think small• Create a document imaging plan

Document Imaging Plan

• Create a document imaging plan for management

• Chart the process that you will use, including the disposition of the original documents or photographs

• Explain to management why you will image the records

Implementation of a Document Imaging Program

• Begin by Defining your Audience• Target a record and think small• Create a document imaging plan• Get support from upper management

and partner with your IT department

Support and Partnership

• Gain support for the project with your plan

• Meet with your IT department – make friends, gain web space and assistance

• Obtain the education you need on the technical side of document imaging

Implementation of a Document Imaging Program

• Begin by Defining your Audience• Target a record and think small• Create a document imaging plan• Get support from upper management

and partner with your IT department• Start a small pilot project

Start a Small Pilot Project

• Image a few documents and index them• Distribute them to your audience and view

them with your users. • Take criticism and use it to improve• Learn to distribute documents via the

Internet when called those documents are called upon

Build upon Success

• When your audience sees what you have done you will probably be called upon to do more

• Use the press as an outreach tool• Enhance your documents with imaging,

linking with other archives with related materials

Part II

Elements of Document Imaging

Elements of Document Imaging

• Scanning• Storage• Indexing• Retrieval• Access

Elements of Document Imaging Scanning

• Scanner specifications – scanner speed and the pitfalls of vendor demos

• Faster is better – but the real speed depends on document prep

• Faster is better but you are only as fast as your indexing speed

Methods of Input

• High Resolution Scanner• Batch Processing Scanner• Camera Scanner• Microfilm to Image• Photocopier• Capture at Creation• Data Entry to Database

Elements of Document Imaging Scanning

• Resolution DPI• Simplex, Duplex scanning• Bi-tonal, grayscale, color• Bit Depth

Resolution – Bit Depth

• 1 bit bitonal black or white• 8 bit – 256 color or grayscale• 24 bit – 16 million + color• 32 bit and 36 bit• With increase in bit depth, you increase the

size of the image • Viewing is only as good as your monitor

Resolution Horizontal dpi Vertical dpi Total Dots per

Square Inch

200 200 40,000

300 300 90,000

400 400 160,000

This is for bi-tonal scanning. For grayscale documents this increases. For color document scanning can increase as much as 16 or 32 times

Elements of Document Imaging Resolution - Text

• OhioLINK Digital Media Center – 300 dpi for text• Colorado Digitization Program– 300 dpi for text • Library of Congress – 200 to 400 dpi depending

on document size• Indiana University Digital Library Program – 300

dpi for text• All of these are for MASTER file, not for the

ACCESS file

Digital Library FederationMonographs and Serials Standards

Black and WhiteFor text, line drawings and halftones

GrayscaleFor covers and illustrations printed in B&W

ColorFor covers, and meaningful text or illustrations printed

600 dpi bitonal Tiff imagesimages must be saved at 1:1 scale

300 dpi8 bit grayscale uncompressed Tiff images – images must be saved at 1:1 scale

300 dpi24 bit color Images must be saved at 1:1 scale

http://www.diglib.org/standards/bmarkfin.htm

Elements of Document Imaging Resolution - Photographs

• Photographs are very different from documents and require high resolution scanning – above 300 dpi

• Photo standards vary depending on the original media – negative, print, slide

• Seek standards from your institution, NARA etc.

Imaging Photographs

• Master copy vs. Distributed copy

Imaging Photographs

• Master copy vs. Distributed copy• Monochrome and Color

Imaging Photographs• Master copy vs. Distributed copy• Monochrome and Color• Revenue potential

Elements of Document Imaging Storage

• MO platters• CD-R & DVD• RAID – Redundant Array of

Inexpensive Disks• Tape Back up – Disaster Recovery

Elements of Document ImagingIndexing

• Indexing can be the single most costly item in a document imaging program

• Indexing is usually the issue that will determine the success or failure of a program

• Indexing must include input from the end users

Elements of Document Imaging - Indexing

• Do not over index• Be sure to budget the staffing required for

any imaging project – or outsource• QC - Quality Control• Scalability – the system works fine with

50,000 images but crashes when loaded with 1,000,000 images

Elements of Document ImagingRetrieval

• Retrieval - documents should be retrieved fast

• Three Clicks Rule• Printing

Elements of Document ImagingAccess

• Authorization levels and security• Audience needs – office, on the road

etc.• Access to documents via a distribution

system

Methods of Document Distribution

• Photocopy/Printing

Methods of Document Distribution

• Photocopy/Printing• Fax

Methods of Document Distribution

• Photocopy/Printing• Fax• E-mail

Methods of Document Distribution

• Photocopy/Printing• Fax• E-mail• Microform

Methods of Document Distribution

• Photocopy/Printing• Fax• E-mail• Microform• Internet – various formats

Part III

Internet DistributionThe Basics

Imaging – Software Profile

Operating System Windows 95/98/2000/NT Linux or MacOS Browser Internet Explorer Netscape,Opera Browser Plug-ins for image viewing Adobe Acrobat for PDF

Web Standards

• HTML 4.0• The use of Frames• JAVA• Plug-ins for document imaging

Browser Plug-ins

• Adobe Acrobat Reader – PDF• RealAudio – Audio and Video• TMSSequoia – TIFF• MrSid by LizardTech

What is MrSid?

MrSID is an acronym for Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database, a powerful wavelet-based image compressor, viewer and file format for massive raster images that enables instantaneous viewing and manipulation of images locally and over networks while maintaining maximum image quality. Features include unprecedented compression ratios while maintaining highest image quality, true multiple resolutions, selective decompression, seamless mosaicking and browsing.

Browser Compliant Imaging

• GIF, JPEG and BMP are HTML compliant• TIFF, PDF are not HTML compliant• TXT files are browser compliant

Image Formats

• TIFF - Tagged Image Format File• PDF – Portable Document Format• GIF or JPEG – should I convert??

Hardware Considerations

• Monitors – 17” minimum for input – consider dual monitor schemes

• Retrieval 15” is usable but not preferable• Flat screens• The workstation is not as important as the

servers and the network wiring• Retrieval times are important• Operating system upgrades

Software Configurations

• Standard Models for Imaging Systems – Database retrieval - search capabilities

• Simplified Model – HTML links – HTML search capabilities

Part IV

Avoiding the Pitfalls

Image what you want Retrieved

• Find out exactly what information is to be retrieved within the record series

Image what you want Retrieved

• Find out exactly what information is to be retrieved within the record series

• Do not image documents that are not necessary

Signal To Noise Ratio

• Consider the Internet as a model• If you image “Everything” and your actual

retrieval rate is low, how efficient is your imaging system?

• Imaging large files - retrieval• Know what is being retrieved by your end

users

Image what you want Retrieved

• Find out exactly what information is to be retrieved within the record series

• Do not image documents that are not necessary

• Remember – the idea is to avoid information overload

Image what you want Retrieved

• Find out exactly what information is to be retrieved within the record series

• Do not image documents that are not necessary

• Remember – the idea is to avoid information overload

• Just because we have the technology to image everything does not mean we must

Avoiding the Pitfalls

• Develop a Strategy• Plan Ahead • Stick to the Basics• Questions for the Vendors

Strategies for Document Imaging• Day forward imaging• Scan on demand• Backfile conversion• Outsourcing as an option• Input centrally vs. Distributed input• Integrate Document imaging with your

photocopying• Web based distribution of images

Plan Ahead – Lifecycle Management

• Where do you see your imaging system in five years?

• What will your paper load be in five years?• How will you be integrating EDMS into

your overall document management system?

• Plan today to evolve away from imaging – think Native formats

Long Term Storage

• Data Migration issues• Retention Schedules• Microfilm – Dual Scanning/Filming

products Canon DR—5060-F• Output to Microform

Questions for the Vendors

• Is this software ODBC and SQL compatible?• What format will my images/documents be stored

in?• Can I export the indexes of my images?• Can I use web base distribution for my images? • Can I add or delete columns in the database?• Can I use any device for image input?• Can I migrate these images to another storage

media? (portability)

Document Management

• Document Imaging is one part of the entire document management realm – paper, images, electronic records

• 98% of all information is created electronically

• Capture and store electronic documents in their native format

Moving to EDMS

• Capture at creation• Web based retrieval• Limit available formats• Migration issues• Have a Strategy for Long Term Storage

Part V

A Tour of a Document Imaging Operation

A Tour of a Document Imaging Shop

University of Illinois Foundation Document Imaging System

Who is our Audience?

• Three campus system – Champaign-Urbana, Chicago and Springfield

• Primary – University of Illinois Foundation, Alumni Association

• Secondary – University development officers

• Tertiary – Administration, Archives

Part VI

Imaging and Document Distribution Projects

Image a Book

Town of Hanover New Hampshire Project 1996

Document ImagingOn the Cheap

• Scanning from a photocopier or small scanner

• Using HTML, linking to the image• Distribute via the Internet or CDR

Distributing Photographs and Newspaper Articles

• 3000 photographs• News Articles continually

researched• Maps, manuscripts• Make the data searchable

Thank You Any Questions?

Cunningham@uif.uillinois.edu