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JIDI:JIDI:Lessons from a quality oriented workflowLessons from a quality oriented workflow

ERPANET Workshop

Budapest

October 2004

Alan Lock

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ContentsContents

• What was JIDI?

• JIDI objectives

• Quality image resources

• JIDI workflow

• Outcomes

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What was JIDI?What was JIDI?

The JISC Image Digitisation Initiative

Started 1998

JISC = Joint Information Systems Committee

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JIDI objectivesJIDI objectives

• To create a substantial body of digitised archive images contributing to the JISC's Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER).

• Contribute experiences to the knowledge base of the JISC's Technical Advisory Service for Imaging (TASI)

• Help create local areas of skill in image digitisation within the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) taking part.

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Quality Digital ResourcesQuality Digital Resources

• This is why we’re here – isn’t it?

• Stating the obvious:• Quality materials

• Quality (meta)data

• Quality equipment\facilities

• Quality staff

• Quality workflow

• = best chance of creating a quality digital resource

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JIDI materials: Collections involvedJIDI materials: Collections involved

Three main types:• Art and Design

• Geology

• Social History

Plus a fourth of ‘Special Collections’:including the Design Council Archives and the Gertrude Bell Archive.

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Range of materialsRange of materials

Some of the wide range of materials:• Transparencies and negatives: 35mm; 6 x 6cm

• Glass plates and slides

• Book bindings (tooled)

• Photocopies

• Large format art originals

• Textiles

• Oriental stencils

• Colour print on tracing paper

• Engravings

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JIDI (meta)dataJIDI (meta)data

• Metadata (was a relatively new concept)

• Technical metadata relatively straightforward

• Range of subject thesauri etc.• Database: unification

• Other data:• Copyright clearance, diligence files

• Data entry, file naming

• Costings

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Equipment and facilitiesEquipment and facilities

• Usually by JIDI recommendation for ‘DIY’ sites• Training given

• Calibration checked

• Recommendations on working environment

• Outsourced digitisation services• essentially constrained by supplier facilities

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StaffStaff

• ‘DIY’ sites• Training

• on-site, workshops

• Variation in capability

• Support (telephone, email, site visits)

• Outsourced• essentially constrained by supplier

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WorkflowWorkflow

• The glue that ties all the previous items together.

• By creating – and adhering to – a ‘quality’ workflow:• problems are less likely

• and can be caught and handled earlier

• less likelihood of cost overrun

• the resource may actually be delivered

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Transport, Storage and HandlingTransport, Storage and Handling

HEDS (Higher Education Digitisation Service) experience paramount.

• Range of delivery methods:• Special HEDS van service

• Hand

• Registered mail or courier

• Insurance

• Storage facilities

• Timing

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Transport, Storage and Handling 2Transport, Storage and Handling 2

Range of material types and sizes required range of storage.

• Capacity: size and number• Synchronisation with transport

• Fireproof

• Environment: temperature, humidity, light, pollution

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Transport, Storage and Handling 3Transport, Storage and Handling 3

• Variety of handling techniques required careful consideration

• Operators may require specialist training to handle some materials

• Remove from storage only what is to be imminently digitised . . .

• . . . and return ASAP

• Clean environment

• No food or drink!

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JIDI Digitisation WorkflowsJIDI Digitisation Workflows

Heterogeneous environments:

• Collections: metadata, thesauri etc.

• Skilled/unskilled operators

• Facilities: equipment, environment, time

• Some originals posed particular problems

JIDI tried to bring a large degree commonality to workflows and in doing so learnt a lot from them.

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JIDI Image QualityJIDI Image Quality

• Aim: consistent high quality images:• Inter-machine

• Inter-site

• Inter-operator

• Longitudinal

• Specifications:• formats, bit depth, profiles, O.S. support, etc.

• Training for project sites:• e.g. calibration, operator vision checks, what to look for

• QA: on-site then single main focus

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Image Quality AssuranceImage Quality Assurance

• Why is it needed?• High quality images will:

• enhance reputation

• increase the chance of further funding

• High quality metadata:• makes access easier (object)

• aids digitisation troubleshooting (technical)

• Catch scanning and related problems:• operator error, equipment faults/drift, difficult subject matter,

scanner operators may not have subject expertise

• COST of getting it wrong

• and “if the job’s worth doing... ”

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Image Quality examplesImage Quality examples

Images 1 & 2: Budapest Tourist Information

Image 3: The Louvre

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Tonal accuracyTonal accuracy

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Consistency?Consistency?

Corel Photopaint8

Adobe Photoshop5Picture Publisher7

PaintShopPro4

Photo copyright Don Cochran

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QA – why?QA – why?

For picking up scanning problems like this...

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Storage:Storage:• Media access

• Common hardware and software standards

• Cross-platform issues

• Speed:• loading times should be as short as practical

• depends mainly on: file size; media speed and application

• For a file to be readable:• the media needs to be (physically) accessible,

• in a readable condition, i.e. not damaged and...

• the file format has to be supported by the application(s)

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Storage: requirementsStorage: requirements

• The cost of physical storage was (is!) falling all the time – don’t limit image quality on the basis of current storage costs.

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Archival aspectsArchival aspects

• As the primary concern was with images for archiving, recommendations were:• ‘best’ image quality (but not ‘corrected’)

• lossless, 24 bit (at least, for colour) formats

• non-proprietary formats

• full metadata (subject and technical)

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Archival aspects (2)Archival aspects (2)

• Build media migration (to larger, faster, more accessible) into the project – costs and time!

• Media migration – again, this time for ‘durability’ rather than cost/space.

• Sensible/workable backup policy.

• Media checks for deterioration.

• Keep to hand at least one application that can you know can read your files.

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JIDI outcomesJIDI outcomes

• Feasibility Study (HEDS)

• JIDI Guidelines

• JIDI Workflow

• Workshops, conferences

• Permeating skills/information

• The collections (VADS/AHDS)

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JIDI outcomesJIDI outcomes

• Was JIDI successful?

• Refer to previous slide

• How many had heard of JIDI before today?

• How many familiar with content?

• Success?

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JIDI:JIDI:Lessons from a quality oriented workflowLessons from a quality oriented workflow

ERPANET Workshop

Budapest

October 2004

Alan Lock

alan.lock@luxio.co.uk