|
Digital Preservation is approaching its tenth year providing special collections and brittle paper digitization service. We wish to thank those individuals and organizations that have supported our mission to capture history for the future and want to acknowledge those that have dedicated their careers to preserving the paper on which our history written. Thank you! Our next project involved the digitization of 3500 Whipple Fire Insurance Maps of St. Louis. The combined collections of Whipples, dating from 1870-1898, are from Washington University and the Missouri Historical Society. David Straight, Washington University’s West Campus Librarian, was project coordinator for this unique collaborative effort. All the files were loaded directly into Washington University Library’s server, requiring 1.3 Terabytes of dedicated space! On-site digitization and postproduction of the combined Whipple collections digital image files, occurred at Washington University’s West Campus Library and required two months to complete. The Missouri State Library grant-funded project will soon allow access to this historic information previously available only on deteriorating brittle paper. Beginning of August 2007, Digital Preservation began a series of on-site projects for a diverse client group. First we spent several weeks at the Missouri State Archives, St. Louis Office, digitizing over 200 20”X24” negatives of maps. The maps had been conserved by the State Archives prior to digitization so, at the time, a large format negative was the best attempt to record the information. The negatives, once digitized, were converted to positive images and scaled to original size providing accurate useful data. We wish to thank Mike Everman, of the Missouri State Archives, for his hospitality and humor, during our visit. We, also, had the pleasure to work with Eric Newman once again, digitizing early American coins and currency for display in the Newman Coin Museum at Washington University. Concurrently, the St. Louis Public Library held a developmental event early November, requiring digital image files and exhibition grade prints for the event and to utilize in various branch exhibits. |
Source material provided by Jean Gosebrink, Special Collections Librarian, included bound volumes, newspapers, magazine covers, advertising art and large format maps. The exhibit, consisting of prints ranging in size from 8”X10” to 30”X40”, was in the Culver Gallery of the St. Louis Public Library, Main Branch. Late November, Digital Preservation moved to Olin Library to digitize the James Schiele Civil War Collection. On loan to Washington University, Anne Posega, Head of Special Collections, requested the digitization of approximately 200 Civil War related items. This collection contains three dozen Kurz and Allison lithographs, 1880s, of significant Civil War battles and is the only complete set in a private collection. December 2007 thru February 2008, found us in assorted Kansas Counties digitizing land plats for various Registers of Deeds. With Kansas incurring major snow and ice storms we were still able to digitize material for six counties. We have completed digitization of Audrain County, Missouri’s land plats. The project, which began four years ago and was funded by the Recorder’s user fees, involved digitization of 4000+ land plats. Working with Virginia Pehle, Audrain County Recorder of Deeds, we would pick up and digitize a predetermined number of plats, based on her varying monthly user fees. The completed set of land plat discs consists of five DVDs, making it easy to store duplicates in secure locations and providing almost instant access! During all this, Digital Preservation was upgrading software and equipment. These upgrades have improved digitization times per page, which results in a lower cost per page. These recent changes would have resulted in a direct savings of one working week on the Whipple Map project alone. Call to see the difference! Thank you Bob Lyner, Digital Preservation, LLC 2001 Mulberry Hill Lane Chesterfield, Missouri 63005 e-mail: bob@digitalpreservation.com phone: 314 378-8054 fax: 636 530-7086 |
|
Other Recent Headlines » 02/07/03 : Update » 02/07/03 : St. Louis Business Journal » 02/01/03 : Press Release » 12/12/02 : The Telegraph |
||
