Book 2: Digital Imaging

TITLE: Digital Imaging: A Practical Handbook
AUTHOR: Stuart D. Lee
STARTED: July 31, 2017
FINISHED: January 17, 2018
PAGES: 194
GENRE: Library Science

FIRST SENTENCE: The aim of this book is to provide practical guidance for anyone who is about to embark on a digitization project or is interested in this growth area.

SUMMARY: [From Amazon] This excellent introduction to digital imaging is a useful, understandable, step-by-step primer for anyone embarking on such a project. Lee (head of the Centre for Humanities Computing, Oxford University Computing Services) provides flowcharts and worksheets for decision-making and budget preparation. These are extremely useful in beginning a digital imaging project, particularly if the institution has no previous experience with digitization. Careful attention is also paid to postdigitizing steps including cataloging, using metadata, delivery systems, archiving, copyright, and image protection. Even librarians who will not be digitizing materials themselves would benefit from an understanding of the pitfalls and problems faced by those who do. Recognizing how such projects are accomplished, what the outcome is, and how the materials may be organized helps anyone who will be using digitized collections.

THOUGHTS: This book took me six months to read. It wasn't hard or long, I was just reading paragraphs here and there between my other daily work. While a lot of the text is incredibly outdated now (this book is over 15 years old), this book does offer decent advice for how to create a sustainable digitization program in a library. It covers the basics and also shares important questions you should ask before you begin digitizing. I also liked how it showcased case studies at libraries who were early adopters.

RATING: 6/10 [Good]

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