taking it to the people: why the national archives of australia embraced digitisation on demand

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This article was downloaded by: [Fondren Library, Rice University ] On: 15 November 2014, At: 10:08 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Australian Academic & Research Libraries Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uarl20 Taking it to the People: Why the National Archives of Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand Ted Ling a & Anne Mclean b a Ted Ling, Director, Corporate Projects, National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email: b Anne McLean, Director, Access and Information Services, National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email: Published online: 28 Oct 2013. To cite this article: Ted Ling & Anne Mclean (2004) Taking it to the People: Why the National Archives of Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand, Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 35:1, 2-15, DOI: 10.1080/00048623.2004.10755253 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2004.10755253 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

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Page 1: Taking it to the People: Why the National Archives of Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand

This article was downloaded by: [Fondren Library, Rice University ]On: 15 November 2014, At: 10:08Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Australian Academic & ResearchLibrariesPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uarl20

Taking it to the People: Why theNational Archives of Australia EmbracedDigitisation on DemandTed Linga & Anne Mcleanb

a Ted Ling, Director, Corporate Projects, National Archives ofAustralia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email:b Anne McLean, Director, Access and Information Services, NationalArchives of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email:Published online: 28 Oct 2013.

To cite this article: Ted Ling & Anne Mclean (2004) Taking it to the People: Why the National Archivesof Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand, Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 35:1, 2-15,DOI: 10.1080/00048623.2004.10755253

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2004.10755253

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Taking it to the People: Why the National Archives of Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand

Taking it to the People: Why the National Archives of Australia Embraced Digitisation on Demand

TED LING and ANNE MCLEAN

ABSTRACT To increase the accessibility of its collection, the National Archives introduced a digitisation on demand service in April 2001. The service delivers low resolution digital images of collection material via the archives website. In the three years since the introduction of the service, nearly 3.5 million images have been made available over the internet delighting the archives ' diverse range of clients. This paper outlines the digitisation trials conducted by the archives and the development and implementation of this very successful service. A number of the archives' proactive digitisation programs, which further enhance the accessibility of their collection, are also described.

Cultural institutions today are faced with the challenge of how to promote wider access to, and greater use of, their collections. For the National Archives of Australia this challenge is complicated by:

• •

the size of our collection- about 270 kilometres of records; the value and unique nature, and in some cases the fragility, of the collection; and the wide geographical distribution of Australia's population which prevents many people from having direct access to the collection. The archives attempts to meet these challenges by making digital copies of

collection material available on our website through our 'digitisation on demand' service and proactive digitisation program. Digitisation on demand allows researchers to request records of interest to be digitised and made accessible via our website.

In addition to digitising records in response to requests by the public, the archives selects particular records for digitisation. Criteria for inclusion in our proactive digitisation program include: • records of particular significance in the administration of the

Commonwealth, such as records of the federal cabinet and of Australia's

• prime ministers; records of high public interest such as those relating to the sinking of HMAS Sydney; and

Ted Ling, Director, Corporate Projects, National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email: [email protected] Anne McLean, Director, Access and Information Services, National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600. Email: [email protected]

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records that are difficult to give access to in their original format but can be made available digitally, such as photographic negatives.

This paper explains how the digitisation on demand initiative was developed, trialled and implemented and the lessons we have learned since implementation. 1 It also briefly discusses our proactive digitisation program. The archives is currently reviewing the digitisation on demand service to assess the level of resourcing required to extend it to the collection beyond Canberra.

Digitisation on Demand

The Tyranny of Distance and the Needs of Researchers The National Archives of Australia has a head office in Canberra and offices with public reading rooms in each state and territorial capital city. There are eight public reading rooms throughout the country where records in our collection can be viewed free of charge.

Such a network is of little use to researchers who are unable to visit our reading rooms. It is important to remember that the archives does not move records from one city to another. The researcher must visit the reading room where the records are kept. Alternatively, the researcher can pay a search agent to examine the records on their behalf, or order photocopies to be made and sent to them for a fee. Distance and cost therefore were potential barriers to access that the archives hoped to overcome.

Computer technology offered solutions to these problems. In 1995 the archives launched a website, which provided information about our policies, services and the collection. A small number of images of collection material were used to illustrate the site. Over the years the website grew in size and sophistication. In 1999 we added our collection database RecordSearch to the website, making available information about records in the collection and the government agencies that created the records. It also enabled our dispersed researcher audience to identify records that may be relevant to their research through a keyword search facility.

In 1998 we embraced the digital world by adding PhotoSearch, a finding aid to our photographic collections. Initially PhotoSearch contained captions for approximately 130,000 photographs, only a small proportion of our photographic collection, and digital images for some 10,000 captions. Through periodic updates, we planned to progressively make more images available online. We also offered the public the opportunity to select captions of interest and request that the associated image be made available online, free of charge. Despite some technical difficulties in the following years, which meant that

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loading new images was not possible, we launched a redeveloped PhotoSearch in August 2003, and it now contains nearly 100,000 images and over 500,000 captions.

The success of the PhotoSearch initiative led us to consider making collection material in other formats available online, particularly paper files, which are the predominant format in our collection. This would increase the use of our collection and remove the barriers of cost and distance.

The Evolution of the Digitisation on Demand Service The archives could not ignore the issues raised by the expansion of internet access. Researchers increasingly expect to meet most of their information needs online, and at the place and time of their choosing. The archives felt that it had to meet this demand or, over time, risk becoming irrelevant.

In 2000 the archives began a series of trials to investigate digitisation and internet access using a number of different methods. The aim was to provide access to our collection to remote researchers, replicating the reading room experience as far as possible. The essential criteria for the trials were speed of image capture, minimisation of cost for image capture and on-screen legibility of the finished product.

A number of digitisation methods were trialled, using overhead, volume and flatbed scanners, as well as digital cameras. We also tested digital conversions from microfilm, proprietary commercial scanning systems, and high-speed bureau imaging services.2

We used a variety of record formats to test each method's capacity to capture all types of documents. Considerable time was spent using World War I army dossiers - of which there are over 350,000 - as test models. These dossiers had already presented a problem with photocopying, because of the variety of ink and pencil colours, handwritten and typed entries, stamps and background colours and sizes of the forms. A selection of service dossiers was an obvious choice for inclusion in the trials, because if digitising these formats was successful, other less difficult records should be relatively easy.

An important aspect of the project was the development of a cost-effective and suitable method for making the digitised images available through the archives website. It became obvious very early that all digitised images should be attached to their respective record entry on our RecordSearch catalogue on our website, to: • remove the need to create or replicate metadata - a significant factor in

keeping capture costs low; •

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maximise the chance of the long-term retention of the digital data by establishing a permanent link between the images and their metadata; avoid the duplication of digitised images on the website;

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maximise researchers' chances of learning about records they might wish to consult; and allow the linking of images on RecordSearch to other parts of the website if required.

Issues emerging from the Trials The clear result of the trials was that overhead digital cameras met the archives access driven image capture criteria better than the alternatives. This method provides low resolution jpeg images which: • can be delivered via the internet, greatly enhancing the accessibility of the

archives' collection; • •

legibly reproduce the information in the record; are quicker (allowing greater throughput) and less costly to create than other methods trialled; and replicate the reading room experience of reading a file from the top down .

We know that our approach is at odds with much of the literature about digitising archival records, which focuses on the creation of digital copies for preservation purposes. 3 Most of the experience leading to the formulation of high-resolution, best image models has been based on pictorial material or rare and visually attractive records, a significant proportion of which are likely to be required for illustrative and publication purposes, as well as for research. However, as the archives' primary aim is to achieve greater accessibility of our largely document-based collection, the preservation model, with its higher resolution images and attendant costs, was not appropriate for us to follow. The cost of copying a record to a higher standard on the relatively few occasions required for preservation or publication purposes is considerably less than capturing all images at a higher standard from the outset.

Costs The speed of processing digitisation requests was considered just as important as cost. Keeping costs per image as low as possible depends primarily on the number of images the operators can capture per shift. During the trials the average number of images captured and processed was 3.26 per minute. At this rate, and at the salary level of the operators, the cost per image was between $0.11 and $0.14 depending on the type of material being processed, with an average cost of $0.13.4 Adding the cost of equipment and the cost of developing the software made the total cost of capturing an image $0.14. These costs are less than any alternative method the archives explored.

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There are, of course, other costs involved. The full costs include retrieving records from storage and subsequently returning them (calculated at approximately $0.09 per image), as well as storing the digital images (calculated at $0.02 per image per year). However, these costs would be incurred irrespective of the image capture system used.

For example, the costs of retrieving a record and returning it to storage already apply if that record is used for remote researcher photocopying, or when it is made available in our reading rooms. By digitising the record, the archives is saved the expense of further retrieval and return to storage costs. The advantage of the digital approach is that these costs are incurred only once, when the request is actioned. Digital capture once enables many subsequent uses over an indefinite period.

Reduced handling of the original record by staff and researchers once the digital copy is available also benefits the long term preservation of the record. The digital copy gave the archives the opportunity to regard the original record as the 'preservation master' which can be preserved under more stringent conditions while access is given to the surrogate.

The Final Outcome At the end of the trials it was clear that low-resolution digitising by overhead camera was the most efficient way to proceed. The archives decided to initiate a digitisation on demand service that would allow researchers to request digital copies of records to be loaded onto RecordSearch. The archives also decided to identify high use and significant records for proactive digitising and loading onto RecordSearch.

Privacy However, there was one final issue to be considered before the archives introduced its online digital service- privacy.

The Archives Act 1983 regulates public access to the collection and requires that we withhold a range of sensitive information, including some personal information, from every form of access. It is important to note that the archives only digitises records that have been assessed as suitable for public release. The archives sought legal advice to determine if there was a distinction between releasing records to the public in a reading room or in photocopy form, and loading digital copies onto a website where they can be viewed by anyone with internet access. We were advised that there was no difference, so we were able to proceed.

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Digitisation on Demand Service - How it Works The archives' process of creating digital copies for RecordSearch has three components: I capturing images using digital cameras; 2 processing the images using ImageStore; and 3 loading the images onto RecordSearch using ImageLoader. ImageStore and ImageLoader are software programs developed in-house.

Image capture Capturing the digital image is a simple task for the operators. The procedure requires them to: • log the record's barcode; • place the record under the camera, aligned in a pre-set position; • capture the image by releasing the camera shutter; and • tum to the next folio and continue until the whole record is digitised.

At every step of the process, the operator needs to conform with preservation requirements. They digitise from the top of the file down and avoid dismantling the record unless it is necessary for legibility.

The hardware used consists of a digital camera (we upgraded to the Canon G3 model in May 2003) mounted on an adjustable stand for overhead alignment, and a computer for uploading the captured digital images.

Capture rates average 140 pages per operator per hour. The average capture rate is easily achievable for regularly formatted records (that is, where no dismantling of records, removal of pins, plastic sleeves, unfolding of maps, etc is required).

Processing images ImageStore rotates, sharpens and adds contrast to the captured images without human intervention. It allows an on-screen review of documents copied, and the replacement of single pages if image quality is poor. The program saves a large and a small (thumbnail) copy of each image produced during the capture stage.

Loading images JmageLoader is the conduit for loading the digital images onto RecordSearch. This program will also load images that have been digitised using processes other than the use of a digital camera and ImageStore. It has the facility to replace and delete pages or whole records.

A summary of the archives' digitisation specifications is given at the end of this paper.

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Commencing the Digitisation on Demand Service The archives began its digitisation on demand service on 11 April 2001. Researchers could request records in our collection to be digitised and loaded onto RecordSearch. This new service was not publicised widely, as we did not know how the processes that were trialled in an artificial environment might translate to an actual service environment. Nor did we have an appreciation of the volume of requests that would be handled by an initiative that was very much in an embryonic stage.

Before introducing the service the archives decided that it would be offered for selected records located in Canberra only. This gave us time to refine procedures, gauge the volume of requests and establish the appropriate infrastructure needed to provide a national service.

How Researchers request Online Digital Records To request an online digital copy, a researcher selects one of the three icons that appear on the record item description screen on RecordSearch. The icons prompt requests for the issue of the record to the reading room, a photocopy or an online digital copy. The researcher lodges an online request for a digital copy and in return receives an electronic acknowledgment.

When the digital copy has been made and is available for viewing online, an icon appears on the record description screen. We do not contact researchers and advise them when a record is available, relying on them to check the website from time to time.

When researchers open the digital copy they see a navigational tool at the top of the page. It allows them to advance through the record, page by page, or jump ahead to any page they require. Researchers can choose to view a thumbnail version of the image (which is often adequate for on-screen viewing) or a larger version. Both the thumbnail and larger versions can be printed, but the thumbnail image often provides a suitably legible printed copy.

As part of our digitisation on demand service we undertake to provide our researchers with: • legible copies; • each page copied in its entirety (that is, no information is missing because

of poor framing, etc); • a copy of the entire record (including masks and removal advices) or, if

not, the researcher is told why a full copy cannot be provided.

We do not promise total quality control, as we generally do not check the images. Ifwe are advised that an image is poor we will simply re-scan it. Nor do we promise high quality images as if they had been scanned on, say, a

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flatbed scanner. There will be some pixellation. We use standard fluorescent lighting, not studio lighting, so some glossy surfaces do present problems with reflection and the lighting of pages is not always evenly distributed. Some of these deficiencies can be resolved quite easily but this requires more individual attention and is thus more time consuming and reduces output. Digitisation on demand is also limited to formats of A3 size or smaller and photographic media. We do not digitise audio records, moving film or records consisting of boxes of cards where the item entry describes only the box and not the individual cards.

In essence, the archives believes that the primary measure of the success of the digitisation on demand service is legibility, not the cosmetic appearance of the images.

Digitisation on Demand - Three Years' Experience The archives digitisation on demand service has now been in operation for almost three years and researchers are delighted with the service. This is what two of them had to say:

I feel that this service has the potential to revolutionise the study of history for those of us undertaking postgraduate study at regional universities (in my case a PhD in history at the University ofNewcastle, north of Sydney).

Sincere thanks to you and your staff for a great job. You have provided us with detailed information on our family war heroes, information that was previously very difficult to access. In our case, we were able to establish details, including photos, which were a great joy to a sister of those heroes.

While the overwhelming response has been positive, there have been some criticisms of the service which the archives needs to address. The criticisms relate to: • the time it takes for copies to be put online; • lack of notification; and • difficulties printing documents and quality of copies. The archives is currently reviewing the service to look at ways of improving it and extending it to the collections beyond Canberra.

Managing the Demand The archives has been overwhelmed by the interest generated by this initiative. Even though there was little publicity, the demand was instantaneous and it has shown no sign of abating. In the 32 months to 31 December 2003 we have digitised and made available on our RecordSearch catalogue approximately 77,000 records consisting of nearly three and a half million images.

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Initially, we promised our researchers a 30-day turnaround time. However, the high volume of requests has meant delays of over 80 days. We now simply tell researchers at what date requests currently being digitised were received. Recent improvements to the software and upgrading of the cameras have improved productivity, shortening the waiting time for researchers.

Investigations have shown that it is possible to install an automated system to notify customers by email when their request is loaded onto RecordSearch. We plan to implement this change in the future.

To help temper demand, we have now limited the number of records a researcher can request to five each year. Our review of this service is considering the possible introduction of service and priority fees. The introduction of fees may reduce demand in the short term but would also allow the archives to resource and extend this service.

The reality is that through our digitisation on demand service we are giving our researchers exactly what they want. Our researchers are telling us precisely which records are of value to them, and we are able to provide them no matter where the researchers are.

Administering the Initiative The digitisation on demand service is, in a sense, a microcosm of any other record-related operation. It requires administration and is akin to running a reading room - the researcher is not physically present but a similar range of records-related problems are encountered, such as: • ordering and returning records to the repository; • retrieving records that are on issue to someone else; • writing to individuals to explain delays or difficulties (for example, where

large format material is requested), and • dealing with special requests.

Despite our expectations, our experience has shown that most records require dismantling or special preparation before capture (for example, sorting pages that are out of order) and this has slowed the capture rate compared to that achieved in the trials. It reflects part of the 'unknown' facet of operating in an actual work environment as opposed to a trial environment.

Once the records have been loaded onto the website, if a researcher wishes to download and print a copy they must currently do so one page at a time. This can be quite frustrating when a record consists of several hundred pages. We are investigating modifications to the software that will give researchers the choice of downloading an entire record or particular pages only. We are confident that these problems can be overcome.

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Upgrading our Digital Cameras We need to factor the regular replacement of our cameras into the cost of the program. Changing technology has meant that upgrading our cameras has gained us greater functionality and productivity.

Proactive Digitisation As part of our proactive digitisation program, the archives has worked with a number of organisations over the past three years to identify and make available online particular groups of records of interest. These organisations are then able to link to the digital records in RecordSearch. This has a multiplier effect in that some of the researchers who come to RecordSearch from other sites may not have had access to these records had it not been for the link provided from their original search site. Some examples are provided below.

Alliances and Links The archives has developed an alliance with the Hellenic Studies Centre at La Trobe University in Victoria, to help them gather together records that document Greek migration and other aspects of life in Australia for hellenic people. Rather than requesting photocopies of relevant records, the centre now selects records and the archives digitises them. The centre then provides links from their online collection (http://www.latrobe.edu.au/nhc/indexhm.htm) to the records on RecordSearch. The result is that a significant group of records are available through the websites of both organisations.

The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library in Western Australia maintains a website (http://john.curtin.edu.au/) on the life and career of Australia's wartime prime minister John Curtin. The website contains digital copies of a large array of records, many from our collection. The archives and the library have worked together to make these digital images available. There are now direct links between the library's website and digital copies of our collection. This is another example of a single digital capture resulting in many uses.

The archives is a member of PictureAustralia (http://www.picture australia.org/), which allows users to search many significant online pictorial collections from one site. PictureAustralia harvests thumbnails and related metadata from our photographic database PhotoSearch and makes them available through PictureAustralia. Visit statistics for our website show that significant numbers of people visiting our site come from PictureAustralia.

Digital Packaging We can, however, take these developments further. We now have the capability to package digitised records for particular subjects or purposes. Researchers can

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access the information they need for a particular subject or topic, together with pertinent information about those records. Below are a few examples.

Journalists and teachers At the beginning of each year, cabinet records which are 30 years old are publicly released. An embargoed media launch takes places in early December before the public release. The archives provides journalists with a bound volume of selected highlights. The journalists take the volume away with them and use it to write their stories. In the future we can package these records in a digital form, so journalists can access a digital 'brick' from their home or office.

During the digitisation trials, the archives was approached by the Foreign Relations Department of the University of Newcastle, north of Sydney. Staff wanted to make digital copies of archival documents available to their students for research course work. A number of records were digitised and have subsequently been made available online, both for students and for anyone else interested in foreign relations. This group of records covers aspects of Australia's relationship with Japan, Indonesia, Portuguese Timor and China. We have since developed a number of subject-based pages on our website so that researchers can locate records grouped by subjects such as 'foreign relations'. Links are provided from these pages to the items in RecordSearch.

The archives is now approaching other Australian universities with courses that could make use of our collection. Again, we can compile relevant records into a digital package, so students can access the records they need from their home or library.

Committees of inquiry In recent years there have been a number of committees of inquiry, for example aboriginal deaths in custody, the separation of aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children from their families, and child migration from the United Kingdom and Malta. Such committees have often indicated how important records are to people's lives and their identities. The archives now has the potential to provide online copies of key records identified by these committees and referred to in their reports. We can link the records to the committees' online reports.

Fact sheets and reference guides Like many archival institutions the archives produces an array of fact sheets and detailed subject-based reference guides. These products are located on our website. We can now link digital copies of records to the fact sheet or guide in

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which they are listed. This provides researchers with an opportunity to view not only the information about a record, but a digital copy of the record as well.

Government agencies Digital accessibility is just as important for government agencies as it is for public researchers. Agencies often require access to records more than 30 years old for their current work. The difficulty in the past has been the need for these records to be in archival custody and publicly accessible (both of which are requirements under our legislation), and also available for reference by agency staff. In some cases agency staff have had to consult these records in our reading rooms or have photocopies made. In the future, digitisation will enable agencies to access our collection at their workstation.

Conclusion Over the past ten years the internet has become a central part of the way we communicate and conduct business. In 1995 the archives grasped the opportunity that the internet provided to make our services and research tools more widely accessible. It was this technological foundation that enabled the transition to an online digital service that began with PhotoSearch in 1998 and moved on to other collection material with the digitisation on demand service in April 2001.

Our digitisation on demand service and our proactive digitisation program is only the beginning. There is much more to be done.

Notes

In writing this paper we have drawn on a report prepared by Paul Macpherson, National Archives of Australia, entitled 'Digitising Records for Improved Accessibility' November 2 0 0 0 (http://www.naa.gov.au/Publications/corporate_publications/ corporate_publications.html) and a paper presented by Margaret Kenna, National Archives of Australia, entitled 'Digital Imaging: Digital Delivery' at the Computing Arts 2001 conference, Digital Resources for Research in the Humanities September 2001

2 A detailed description of the trials, and costings, will be found in the report by Paul

Macpherson cited at reference I 3 The following were considered in relation to the digital project and trials:

• A R Kenney and 0 Y Reiger Moving Theory into Practice: Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives Mountain View CA Research Libraries Group 2001 National Archives and Records Administration NARA Guidelines for Digitising Archival Materials for Electronic Access College Park MD NARA 1998 A Kenney and S Chapman Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives Ithaca NY

Cornell University Library 1996

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AARL, March 2004

• M Lesk Image Formats for Preservation and Access: A Report of the Technology Assessment Advisory Committee to the Commission on Preservation and Access Washington DC Commission on Preservation and Access 1990 Colorado Digitization Project General Guidelines for Scanning http://coloradodigital.coalliance.org/scanning.html [accessed 31 July 2000)

• L Sorenson Colet, 'Planning an Imaging Project' in Digital Library Federation, Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging CLIR 2000

• P Gonzalez Computerisation of the Archivo General de Indias: Strategies and Results Washington DC CLIR 1998

The Digital Toolbox (http://coloradodigital.coalliance.org/toolbox.html) gives links to a wide selection of these sources. Kenney and Reiger 2001 p9 and in footnotes throughout, also provides a plethora of references

4 All costs are in Australian dollars

Image Capture Output Specifications and Statistics

Di2ital camera Canon G3 Image size/resolution 1200 x 1600pixels/72dpi Image format Pr~essivejQ~, comQressed Document size Width (em) Height (em)

Large 42.33 56.44 Small 25.40 33.87

Pixel dimensions Width (pixel~ Height {I:>ixels) Large 1,200 1,600 Small 810 960

Average image file sizes Large 159KB Small 66KB

Output Rate In ideal conditions, an average of 140 images can be captured and processed per operator per hour. Approximately 48 minutes per hour are spent on capturing images and 12 minutes on processing by ImageStore. Breaks are usually taken while processing is occurring. Processing time is also used for reassembling records that have been taken apart for capturing.

Storage of Captured Data The server is a Dell with two lGHz processors, 1024Mb RAM and 3.5Tb of disk. The disk drives are in Storage Area Network (SAN) configuration. This allows the addition of extra disk capacity to the current server, as well as additional servers with their own disks. A tape library is used to back up the server. Because of the way the application is designed and the database is

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Ling and McLean: Taking it to the People

structured, only 2Gb can be loaded per day. The current monthly growth rate is 40-50Gb. A rolling database design, where the maximum database size is set at 200Gb, means that new databases are created as required. New records are only written to the last database created. Full backups of the current database and the control database are done weekly, with daily incremental backups for all databases and rolling backups for non-current databases.

Open Access

The IFLA Governing Board has adopted a statement on 'Open Access to Scholarly Literature and Research documentation'.

Welcoming the IFLA statement, President-elect Alex Byrne noted IFLA's long commitment to open access to information, especially its concern for access to scholarly literature in the developing world. He said: 'IFLA recognises that achieving affordable, global access to scholarly information and research documentation will require a great deal of commitment and a variety of strategies. IFLA strongly supports the Open Access movement and welcomes the launch of many OA compliant publications. IFLA also acknowledges the need to address the challenge on a number of fronts and in partnership with many stakeholders.'

One of the principal concerns identified by Alex Byrne was to support and defend the moral rights of creators, while simultaneously seeking balance in copyright legislation to protect and extend the public domain and public interest in access to information. 'This is fundamental to many areas including health, education, development and culture,' he added.

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