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Re: Scanning photos



Hi Mary et al,

As one of the task force members who crafted the policy at LSU, I recall
that we wished to avoid photographic scanning on a per-request basis because:

Although light exposure for a single scan has been shown to cause nominal
damage to a photograph, repeated exposures would cause cumulative light
damage to photographs if they are requested numerous times. LSU's strategy
was to systematically digitize its photographic holdings, beginning with
collections that contain frequently-requested images. FYI, LSU also has a
very speedy and high-quality photographic reproduction service in-house, so
patrons could request slick photographic prints at a lower cost that
through digital scanning anyway. Additionally, the odds of a negative
existing for a frequently-requested image were much better in the photo lab
than in the digital lab.

In my experience, there is no one "correct" policy. Institutional
peculiarities mandate different approaches. Now that I work at the
University of Minnesota (our scanning price list is at
http://digital.lib.umn.edu/scanning.html) I work with a policy where we DO
permit per-request scanning, because the nature of our collections and the
usage patterns differ considerably from LSU's. Like everyone else, we are
trying to balance competing principles of cost recovery, accessibility to
content, maintaining manageable workloads, and care of the photographic
holdings.

Sincerely,
Chuck Thomas
Digital Projects Coordinator

>Hi -
>
>In Rachel Galan's recent posting concerning scanning policies, she included
>the link to LSU's policy.  In their policy, they state: "Photographs will
>not be scanned for patrons due to the damage caused by the scanning
>process."  Can anyone address just exactly what kind of "damage" is caused
>by scanning?  We use UV plexiglass when we xerox a photo - should we be
>doing the same when we scan?  Will one scan really cause damage?  Has anyone
>done any research into this?
>
>Mary Huelsbeck
>Recorder
>Neville Public Museum of Brown County
>
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********************************************************
"The only thing that's worse than watching a bad movie
 is being in one."
  --Elvis Presley, From THE QUOTABLE KING
    (Nashville: Cumberland House, 1997)

"Qui me amat, amet et canem meum" (Love me, love my dog)
 - A proverb mentioned by St. Bernard in his SERMO PRIMUS

Charles F. Thomas, Certified Archivist
Digital Projects Coordinator
Elmer L. Andersen Library, Room 6
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-0028
thoma134@tc.umn.edu
********************************************************

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>