Report on Project Open Book

I am pleased to announce the publication of a new report on the digital
image conversion of preservation microfilm.  The purpose of this
demonstration project, which was supported generously by the National
Endowment for the Humanities, was to establish in a research library the
capacity for large-scale conversion of preservation microfilm and to measure
the quality, cost, and administrative complexities of such a capacity.

The project is the third phase of Project Open Book, which is Yale
University Library's comprehensive feasibility study on the digital
conversion of microfilmed library materials. In partnership with the
Xerox Corporation, Yale built a networked, multi-workstation
conversion system, recruited, hired and trained three technical
assistants, and converted 2,000 books to digital image files. These
files were inspected for quality, indexed to reflect the internal
structure of the original books, and stored on optical disks in a
mechanical jukebox. The project incorporated a sophisticated study
of the costs of the digital conversion process, the results of which
are summarized in the report. Finally, the project resulted in the
development of guidelines for cataloging image files in an online
bibliographic system that permits direct access to images and
indexes via the Internet.

This 80-page report provides background on Project Open Book and
presents findings from the major components of the demonstration
project.  Appendices include information on the equipment
configuration and process workflow, samples of image quality and
index structures, job descriptions for project staff, cost data, and
image cataloging guidelines.

    Conversion of Microfilm to Digital Imagery: A Demonstration
    Project. Performance Report on the Production Conversion Phase
    of Project Open Book. Paul Conway, Principal Investigator.  New
    Haven: Yale University Library, August 1996.

The report is available for $15.00 plus 6% Connecticut sales tax per
volume. Shipping and handling is $4.00 per order.  The Yale
University Library can accept only checks or money orders for
payment.  They should be made out to Yale University
Library--Project Open Book.  Purchase orders or credit card orders
cannot be accepted.  Mail requests to: Paul Conway, Preservation
Department, Yale University Library, PO Box 208240, New Haven, CT
06517. Orders may be faxed to (203) 432-1714.

    Paul Conway
    Head, Preservation Department
    Yale University Library

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:35
                 Distributed: Saturday, October 5, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-35-001
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