Services

Digital Capture and Conversion

The AMNH Digital Library Program is here to help AMNH curatorial staff and collection managers with their digital capture and conversion needs. For instance, we can assist you in writing and compiling digital conversion specifications for grant applications and other funding proposals. Or, we can scan or convert samples of items under consideration, develop custom software applications for image and text conversion, and color proof for hard-copy output. By working with curators, collection managers and other stakeholders to evaluate test scans early in a project, all potential risks to the source materials are addressed. This also gives us an opportunity to see which specifications best meet their needs, and it gives the AMNH-DLP team an opportunity to meet the project managers to make sure both parties fully understand project objectives. For collections digitization projects, defining scanning specifications is a group process based upon a review of the materials to be scanned, sample images, and a discussion of the goals and objectives of the projects.

Organization of Data and Image Files

The AMNH-DL team is also interested creating standards and best practices among AMNH departments that are currently using digital capture devices such as digital cameras, flatbed scanners and film scanners. One of the goals is to develop uniform capture procedures and file naming conventions, and to facilitate a museum-wide digital archiving specification for long-term archiving of digital image files.  

For now, we have compiled a list of resources to help you evaluate and assess how to proceed with a digital imaging project and what steps to take to ensure its viability once it is created.

Below are some of the services currently available from the AMNH-Digital Library, and some that may be offered in the near future:

• Digital Capture of 2-D Visual Materials such as Photographs, Prints, Maps and film-based surrogates from 35mm to 8 x 10 inches.
• Document Conversion from Printed Matter into PDF, or Database Applications
• Image Capture and Re-keying of Texts, Manuscripts and Archives via third-party vendors
• Hard-Copy Facsimile Output of 2-D Visual and Textual Materials
• Walk-in scanning stations for AMNH staff for textual capture of photographs, books and manuscripts
• Audiotape and Videotape digital conversion

Available soon:

• Audio and Video Conversion
• 3-D Capture of Objects and Ephemera
• QuickTime VR and other Interactive Image File Formats
• Geo-spatial Integration
• Digital Archiving Services