The rapid growth and distribution of scholarly research in the middle and late twentieth century, the limited supply of old books and other paper-based materials, and the deterioration of items printed on acidic paper since the mid-1800s have meant that many libraries lack suitable copies of printed sources that their users would like to read. For…

Discusses a photograph conservation seminar held in August 1996 and co-sponsored by the Rochester Institute of Technology and the George Eastman House (Rochester, New York). Highlights include assessing and improving storage conditions; possibilities of digital reconstruction; digital cameras; cataloging; and access, especially with CD-ROMs and…

Discussion of digitizing an archive's photograph collection focuses on the FEAR method (Funding, Equipment/Expertise, Approach, and Rationale). Topics include whether digitization is an appropriate choice; formulating objectives; file format and compression; storage alternatives, including CD-ROM; and outsourcing. (LRW)

Discusses the Scottish Newspapers Microfilming Unit's interest in conversion of microfilm to digital technology. Concerns include cost, potential market, reliability of digital technology as a preservation medium, and the necessity to have both microfilm and digital formats for preservation. Solicits feedback and information from colleagues on the…

University Microfilms International (UMI) collects, creates, and preserves information from the fields of business, education, engineering, social science, and the popular media and makes it available in print and microform, as well as online, on CD-ROM, and on magnetic tape. The company also develops integrated information delivery systems. (KRN)

Considers the future of microforms by surveying the history of their use in libraries; reviewing the literature about them; and comparing them with electronic databases, full text delivery, and laser disks. It is concluded that microforms will continue to be the primary providers of significant but rarely used retrospective materials. (EM)

Describes ArchiVISTA, an optical disk image retrieval system that provides access to cartoons and caricatures in the National Archives of Canada. Planning, evaluation, design and image capture, and retrieval are explained, as well as how the system developed from earlier efforts of bibliographic control and imaging technology. (10 references) (EAM)

Describes Kodak's Photo CD technology, a format for the storage and retrieval of photographic images in electronic form. Highlights include current and future Photo CD formats; computer imaging technology; ownership issues; hardware for using Photo CD; software; library and information center applications, including image collections and…

Discusses the preservation of electronically produced data focusing on the passive destruction of data due to lack of proper care in information storage. Three case studies are presented: two involve specific media--magnetic tape and CD-ROM (compact disk read-only-memory)--and one the transfer of data from one system to another. (EM)

Presents a discussion of laser disk systems developed by different institutions to store and distribute information and visual images. Includes information on storage, preservation, and use in the classroom or for research. Evaluates image quality, storage capacity, and transmissibility. Urges use of the videodisk to organize information and…

The U.S. Bureau of the Census has published on CD-ROM data for the smallest geographic reporting levels, and depository librarians must decide what level of support they will provide for patrons who want to access the material. Discussion includes preservation and storage of census maps for easy access, and indexing the information contained on…

This guide to materials on optical disks is designed to aid an individual in pursuing the study of optical disk technology through a review of the literature in the collections of the Library of Congress. A brief explanation of the scope of the topic introduces the references, which are listed in the following categories: (1) introductions to…