Digitization of photographic collections

Almost every major institution is contemplating some kind of digital-imaging project, but sources of information and experience are few. Technical aspects of digital imaging present Libraries and archives with very difficult and complex choices. There are as yet no codified technical standards for image capture, display, and output, all of which affect the image quality, the cost, and, ultimately, the success or failure of the entire undertaking. Even if a vendor will provide a finished ''turnkey'' system, an institution must understand the nature of the digital-imaging product they are buying. They must know how much image quality and functionality can be expected from it, both now and in the future. New tools must be provided for collection managers to make that possible. Beyond these purely technical issues, institutions must be able to relate the digital-image database system to the fundamental collection activities of access and preservation. Despite all the possibilities for manipulating digital images, image quality choices made when files are first created have the same ''finality'' that they :have in conventional photography. They will have a profound effect on project cost and the value of the final project to the users. Image quality requirements therefore have to be established carefully before a digitization project starts.