Digitization of analog resources is a process which can be looked at from different perspectives. Most books and tutorials focus, however, on the technical aspects of the digitization process, such as the technical details of the infrastructure needed and the format of the outputs. Thus, the book Preparing Collections for Digitization by Anna Bülow and Jess Ahmon aims to fill a significant gap in the literature on the steps needed to be taken prior to the digitization process itself. The authors present their extensive experiences as preservation experts at the National Archives of UK in an easy-to-follow structured approach.
Chapter 1 is an introductory text which discusses the benefits of new technologies to preservation of cultural collections and the accessibility and management of these collections. Further, it divides the digitization process into four stages covering various aspects from proposal to long-term sustainability. The next chapter focuses on issues that should be considered before digitization such as the resources and the staff that need to be involved in the process. The benefits and problems of in-house or external project development are discussed and some security options are considered.
Chapter 3, a more technical reading than the previous units, focuses on the characteristics of images and on topics such as post-processing and image metadata. However, the subjects are briefly discussed and the reader needs to have some relevant technical background or knowledge on the presented material. Chapter 4 discusses in more detail the process of selecting collections for digitization. The authors mention that the three core factors for selecting a collection are: content, demand and condition and they analyze in more depth the various aspects of them. The physical format and condition of the collection is a key consideration for a collection to be digitized.
Through an initial assessment the condition, the size, the variation and the formats within a collection can be decided and the whole process will be better designed. The following chapter expands the issues raised in the previous chapter. That is how to survey a collection to understand its physical aspects that have a direct impact on the image capture process. Topics like the sample size and the sampling method are analyzed and specific subjects like the condition, the size and the weight of damaged or delicate documents are discussed. Specific examples are given, which are quite helpful in understanding the real problems of digitizing cultural collections.
Chapter 6 is about the equipment for image capture. It introduces the types of scanners and digital cameras and discusses in which cases the different technologies could be used. Chapter 7 discusses the steps for preparing the documents. Practical issues like the formats and the fastenings of documents are analyzed in depth through the use informative examples and illustrations. Three case studies clarify the issues further. The following chapter focuses specifically on how to handle damaged documents. The issue of conservation of a collection prior or during the digitization workflow is commented. Examples about lightly or severely damaged documents are presented and a list of the needed preparation time and treatment in relation to the extent of damage are found in the text. Issues like legibility and time constraints are also analyzed. Some case studies help the reader comprehend the involved issues better. Chapter 9 is about the physical considerations of the image capture process. These are issues like the working environment, the space needed, the safety and the cleaning and maintenance of the workspace and equipment are analyzed.
The authors argue that experienced staff are important for the efficient management of these matters and if needed the project staff should receive preservation training. Chapter 10 is a short conclusion and the book contains a further reading and an index section.
Summing up, this book is a quite useful reading for staff who participate in collection digitization projects. The main focus of the book is on the factors to be considered prior or during digitization and therefore themes like whether a collection should be digitized and how to handle damaged documents are carefully discussed. The case studies and the illustrations help the reader understand the real issues in digitally preserving delicate documents. All the presented material draws on the author experiences, which means that there is a practical tone in each topic and this makes the book even more important. Some of the book contents could, however, benefit from an expansion and references to further readings. For example, Chapter 3 contains some terminology like RDF, JPEG XR, XML, etc., and it would be definitely better to either not include these terms, as I think they are not actually informative, or to further analyze them to avoid confusion. Overall, the book is a useful source of practical guidance for institutions planning to undertake digitization projects. I come from a technical background and I can definitely say that the book raised some crucial issues that it would be hard to consider otherwise and therefore I find the text useful to both individuals with a sold technical background and to those with mainly conservation experiences.
