Medical History of British India

 

SPECIFICATION – National Library of Scotland

MEDICAL HISTORY OF BRITISH INDIA VACCINATION REPORTS PROJECT 

Brief project background and objectives.  

 The Wellcome Trust has funded a 12 month project for the microfilming of 66 volumes from the India Papers Collection. The 35 mm negative microfilm will then be scanned and greyscale 8-bit .tif files will be created. 3 browser friendly images for each .tif image will be produced by the National Library of Scotland (known hereafter as the Library). Colour images will be created in full-colour 24-bit .tif scanned from the original volumes. 3 full-colour .jpg images will be produced by the Library from each of these.

The images will undergo OCR to produce a bi-tonal .pdf file and an .htm file coded in xhtml for each one. Procurement of an OCR service will start when main capture is underway.

The India Papers are a collection of official documents from Colonial India and includes publications of the Imperial Government and of many Indian states, most of which came under British rule. The Vaccination reports material dates from 1856-1933.

The 66 volumes selected for the project concentrate on annual Vaccination reports. They will populate and enhance the existing National Library of Scotland web feature called Medical History of British India Online

http://www.nls.uk/indiapapers/index.htm

 The images created from the microfilm and the originals will form a searchable feature and the Library will provide full access metadata for each page.

There are approximately 19,000 pages, plus around 180 colour illustrations and foldouts. All volumes are in English and have been printed.

 Institutional background

The National Library of Scotland, which has a history of over 300 years, is the largest legal deposit library north of Cambridge or Aberystwyth. 80% of its annual 300,000 item intake is by legal deposit and it currently houses over 13 million items.

 Project responsibilities of the Library

Library staff will be responsible for preparing and packaging the items ready to be sent to the vendor. The Library will use the vendor’s courier or transport service and this will be included in the price of the bid in the Pricing Document. The Library will perform quality checks of microfilm and image capture. The following provides a description of the Library’s project responsibilities.

 About the collection to be converted

 The 66 volumes have been broken down into 5 batches based on geographical areas of India as follows.  

Batch 1 – 16 items, approximately 5,500 pages before full metadata. The height of volumes range from 25 cm to 34 cm. They date from 1867 to 1930. All but two have been rebound. The items are, on the whole, in good clean condition, the text is clear and some volumes contain numerous tables. There are approx. 97 colour pages/foldouts.

This collection will be the first collection to be filmed. The first reel will be a test batch for quality, layout and capture work rate. NLS will negotiate timings for this once the contract has been awarded.

Batch 2 – 23 items, approximately 4,831 pages before full metadata. The height of volumes range from 25 cm to 34 cm. They date from 1856 to 1928. Most are bound in pasteboard covers and have some dirty pages. The text is clear and some volumes contain numerous tables. There are approx. 3 colour pages/foldouts.

Batch 3 – 8 items, approximately 3,122 pages before full metadata . The height of volumes range from 25 cm to 34 cm. They date from 1873 to 1929. All but two have been rebound. The items are, on the whole, in good clean condition, the text is clear and some volumes contain numerous tables. There are approx. 13 colour pages/foldouts.

Batch 4 – 8 items, approximately 2,220 pages before full metadata. The height of volumes range from 25 cm to 34 cm. They date from 1867 to 1929. All have been rebound. The items are, on the whole, in good clean condition, the text is clear and some volumes contain numerous tables. There are approx. 18 colour pages/foldouts.

Batch 5 – 11 items, approximately 3,423 pages before full metadata. The height of volumes range from 25 cm to 34 cm. They date from 1868 to 1933. All have been rebound. The items are, on the whole, in good clean condition, the text is clear and some volumes contain numerous tables. There are approx. 42 colour pages/foldouts.

The timescales and workflow on the next few pages detail a rolling programme with the items worked on in 5 batches. This is primarily to facilitate the need for concurrent tasks. While capture is taking place, the project manager will be quality checking, preparing items for filming, adding metadata, sorting and renaming images and also procuring an OCR service before sending images away to be undergo OCR.

Proposed project timescales and workflow:

Phase One (Procurement & preparation) January 2011 to June 2011

• Procurement of external vendor for filming and digitisation
• Companies will be invited to tender on 24^th March 2011. Visits may be required. Tenders are due by 4^th May and the contract will be awarded around 27^th May.
• Conservation work on minor repairs, cleaning, bolts cut, etc made
• Batch 1 and most of Batch 2 metadata created, listings drawn up and printed out, ready for crating up.

 Phase Two – Batch processing (Batch 1) Sent to vendor 22^nd June 2011, due back to Library 3^rd August 2011.

• Microfilming of items Batch 1 (5,500 pages)  (preparation of remainder of  Batch 2 for filming and scanning)
• Digitisation of microfilm
• Items to be shot in colour will be digitised from original items
• Batch 1 film and images delivered to Library
• Evaluate workflow/timings from vendor
• Revise capture process from above if necessary
• Meeting and perhaps visit to vendor by project manager to iron out any problems, discuss next batch
• Quality checking – first batch – sign off/invoice after first checks are made (RISK – rework)

 Phase Two – Batch processing (Batch 2) Sent to vendor 3^rd August 2011, due back to Library 21st September 2011.

• Microfilming of items Batch 2 (approx. 4,831 pages) (preparation of Batch 3 items for filming and scanning plus commencement of OCR tendering)

• Digitisation of microfilm
• Items to be shot in colour will be digitised from original items
• Batch 2 film and images delivered to Library
• Batch 1 original items to arrive with the film and images
• Quality checking – sign off/invoice (RISK – rework)

Phase Two – Batch processing (Batch 3) Sent to vendor 21st September 2011, due back to Library 9th November 2011.

• Microfilming of items from Batch 3 (approx. 3,122 pages) (preparation of Batch 4 items for filming and scanning)

• Digitisation of microfilm
• Items to be shot in colour will be digitised from original items
• Batch 3 film and images delivered to Library
• Batch 2 collection original items to arrive with the film and images
• Quality checking – sign off/invoice (RISK – rework)

Phase Two – Batch processing (Batch 4) Sent to vendor 9th November 2011, due back to Library 21st December 2011.

• Microfilming of items from Batch 4 (approx. 2,220 pages) (preparation of Batch 5 items for filming and scanning)

• Digitisation of microfilm
• Items to be shot in colour will be digitised from original items
• Batch 4 film and images delivered to Library
• Batch 3 collection original items to arrive with the film and images
• Quality checking – sign off/invoice (RISK – rework)

Phase Two – Batch processing (Batch 5) Sent to vendor 21st December 2011, due back to Library 15^th February 2012.

• Microfilming of items from Batch 5 (approx. 3,423 pages)
• Digitisation of microfilm

• Items to be shot in colour will be digitised from original items
• Batch 5 film and images delivered to Library
• Batch 4 collection original items to arrive with the film and images
• Quality checking – sign off/invoice (RISK – rework)
• Batch 5 collection original items to arrive after the film and images when QA from Batch 5 has been finished and approved
• Master negatives requested by Library.

Phase Three (Metadata completion and web feature build) early 2012 onwards.

• 2011 capture mop up  
• Renaming all images 
• Colour image by NLS dropped into main sequence
• OCR-ing of images will occur from August 2011, finishing March 2012, to run concurrently with some of the capture, QA and metadata work 
• Creation of .jpg files
• Upload of Digital Object Database records to web by Digital Library team 

• Operational testing of web feature
• Copy written and uploaded to web feature
• Any risks with OCR/ resends shall be dealt with as the products arrive and are checked off
• End of project report and evaluations

Phase Four (Conclusion and Promotion) end of 2011- March 2012

• Rebinding, repair and placing of items
• Operational testing of web feature – final checks
• Advertising site and promotional activities

Proposed Workflow breakdown (approx six-eight weeks per batch)

Dates	Batch numberFilmed/ scanned at vendors	Preparation work at NLS	Quality checking at NLS	Return of original items to NLS
22nd June-3rd August (8 weeks)	Batch 1	Batch 2 page listed and crated	Batch 1 checked, matched, renamed	No original items returned
3rd August-21st September (7 weeks)	Batch 2	Batch 3 page listed and crated	Batch 2 checked, matched, renamed	Batch 1 returned
21st September-9th November (7 weeks)	Batch 3	Batch 4 page listed and crated	Batch 3 checked, matched, renamed	Batch 2returned
9th November-21st December (6 weeks)	Batch 4	Batch 5 page listed and crated	Batch 4 checked, matched, renamed	Batch 3returned
21st December 15h February 2012(8 weeks)	Batch 5	No preparation	Batch 5 checked, matched, renamed	Batch 4returned, then 5 at end of project

Preparing materials for microfilming/colour scanning (when appropriate)

The Library staff will:

 

1. Perform page by page collation of each volume to ensure correct order, completeness and legibility of text and to note any irregularities. This will be done whilst pages are entered into the Library’s Digital Object Database (DOD);
2. Repair pages, iron pages and remove large foldouts from volumes where appropriate. Blank sides of foldouts will be filmed, but only when folded up (closed) – see later under microfilming for more details;
3. Supply vendor with an electronic list of a reel order for each batch, based on content and dates of volumes, taking into account of size. The Library works on the average of 500 frames (1000 pages) per reel. The reel order will also list basic bibliographical details, and notes of anomalies such as missing pages, pagination errors, open page widths in cm and inches, plus notes from the collation of the volume by Library staff, so that it provides an at-a-glance overview of each volume. The actual reel breakdown is decided by vendor staff who will then assign the shelfmark to each reel and email the finalised list to the Library;
4. Supply vendor with an Excel paper print out (page listings) for each volume (and an electronic copy which can be amended by the vendor) which will detail page sequences, illustrations, foldouts and any pages to be scanned from the original at full-colour 24-bit 400dpi resolution, any anomalies such as missing pages and pagination errors. An example of this can be found in the Appendix;
5. Supply vendor with the following target boards (in electronic format for all and a laminated hard copy for the copyright and Wellcome Trust acknowledgement) – National Library of Scotland copyright statement, Wellcome Trust acknowledgment, bibliographic target for each reel providing full details of each volume, reel number (e.g. Mf.IP.111). These can be manipulated by vendor staff to suit their requirements for filming;
6. The Library’s project manager will email the electronic documents (reel order, target boards, Excel page listings) at least half a calendar week before a batch is due out, together with any queries or instructions. This will be sent to the vendor’s project manager, unless otherwise specified due to leave taken;

Transport of materials to and from vendor

The Library will pack items in each batch (in bubble wrap, according to conservation best practice) and place them in labelled, locked green plastic skips. Keys which fit all the padlocks supplied will be sent to vendor staff before the work begins. Transport methods and security will be discussed before work begins and a timetable drawn up. A packing slip will be included in each skip. Each volume will be accompanied by an Excel page listing sheet, as referred to above. This will have a number on it which corresponds to the reel order number.

Performing quality control of film and image capture

The vendor will send the 3 generations of microfilm, film/scan quality control reports and digital files to the Library for quality checking on, or as near to the deadline for receipt as possible. Digital files will be sent on the vendor’s own hard drives (to be returned after each batch has been downloaded to the Library’s server). The vendor will do this, after liaison with the project manager, according to the timescales outlined or agreed previously. The Library will spend up to two weeks sampling images for quality control during the time that another batch is being converted. The Library will match all images from the scan to its own records (page listings) as soon as possible and notify the vendor of any missing ones. The Library will notify the vendor when quality checks are complete;

Quality control of microfilm: The Library staff will inspect the quality control report sheet sent to the Library for each first generation microfilm. The working positive film will be viewed on a microfilm reader. Random quality control based on QA requirements of the Library will be carried out by the Library’s Reprographics department, guided by Preservation staff and the project manager.

Staff will identify missing pages, pages out of sequence, skewed pages and evaluate the image quality of text and illustrations, looking at the following:

 

• Items will be filmed in IIB double-page comic mode (so as to be split at the digital scanning stage);
• Each frame shall contain the full reproduction of the page;
• Frame alignment – the top edge of the book should run parallel to the film edge and be centre within the image area as far as possible. Any image rotation which is in excess of 9 degrees must be refilmed by the vendor at no additional cost to the Library. If the film is to be rescanned, the recommended maximum usage rotation is 2 degrees;
• Films should be free from processing marks, fogging and abrasion;
• Text legibility, including the smallest significant characters;

Quality control of digital images: Staff will identify missing pages, pages out of sequence, skewed pages and evaluate the image quality of text and illustrations, looking at the following:

 

• Full reproduction of the page, with lines of text being within 0.75 degrees of horizontal (1.5 degree threshold);
• Sufficient contrast between text and background and uniform density across the image being in agreement with original pages;
• Text legibility, including the smallest significant characters (especially so where the original type is faint);
• Absence of darkened borders at page edges except where original is dusty;
• Individual line widths (thick, medium and thin) rendered faithfully;
• Absence of wavy or distorted text except where original type is wavy or distorted.

Magnification may be used to examine individual letters/illustrations. Under magnification the following text attributes are required for 98% of all pages excepting when the original text is indistinct or faulty:

• Serifs and fine detail should be rendered faithfully;
• Individual letters should be clear and distinct;
• Adjacent letters should be separated;
• Open regions of characters should not be filled in;
• Pixel height should be a minimum of 12 pixels for the smallest printed letter, frequently an ‘e’.

For illustrations and other graphics, the following attributes will be evaluated with or without magnification, as needed:

• Capture of the range of tones contained in the original;
• Consistent rendering of detail in the light and dark portions of the image;
• Even graduations across the image;
• Absence of moiré patterns and other distorting elements;
• The presence of significant fine detail contained in the original.

Invoicing and identifying unacceptable films and images

The Library will quality check a sample of master negative films and working positive films, film reports and image files within 2 weeks of receipt to ensure that they meet the agreed standards. Any films and images considered unacceptable by Library staff will be returned to the vendor with specific comments identifying the scope and nature of the problem. The vendor will make all necessary adjustments and reproduce the images at their expense to achieve an acceptable level of quality as identified in this specification.

Once the Library confirms that the outputs meet its requirements then the vendor will be requested for an invoice that will be paid within 30 days. The Library’s BACS payments usually go out on a Thursday and should be in the vendor’s bank account on the following Monday. The vendor should contact the Library if there are any problems with payments.

Project responsibilities of the vendor

The role of the vendor is critical to the success of the project. The vendor will be responsible for receiving 66 volumes – approximately 19,000 pages – from the Library and microfilming and then scanning the film to produce the 8-bit greyscale .tif images. Any colour images (there are only a few) will also be created in full colour 24-bit .tif at 400 dpi. The vendor will inspect and deliver the products on master negative, working negative and working positive microfilm. Inspection of the digital images will be carried out and the images delivered on a hard drive. In addition, the vendor will be responsible for guaranteeing the quality of the images.

Receiving material from Library

The vendor must acknowledge receipt of each item unpacked in a batch using an annotated copy of the packing slip. The vendor will fax the packing slips to the project manager. If any discrepancies are found, or the original items are problematic, the vendor needs to inform the Library immediately. Contact details are on each packing slip. All materials should be stored in a secure, dry location (with temperature and humidity suitable for books) at the vendor’s site and great care should be taken handling the items.

Whilst collating the volumes, the vendor shall use the Excel page listings as a guide and note any errors made at the Library. These will be sent back to the Project Manager when filming has finished with the electronic document amended by the vendor. An addition sheet of corrections may also be made by the vendor. The Project manager will then amend the DOD and re-export listings ready for when the images are downloaded.

Filming and scanning procedures

The vendor shall exercise rigorous quality control to maintain consistency of output. The vendor shall ensure that all filming and scanning systems are free from dust and other distorting particles, that they maintain calibration throughout each shift and that the appropriate technical targets are used. The Library will provide a “Mini Color Checker” chart to be scanned with each image shot in colour. This will be sent in the first batch and kept until the end of the project.

Bound volumes for filming and scanning consist of both books (usually published in a single physical volume, on a specific topic) and annual reports. Many annual reports consist of several years of reports bound into one volume, or even spanning several volumes.

Prior to filming and scanning, each volume should be reviewed to determine the presence and nature of illustrations, the page dimensions and the physical condition. The inspection will ensure that the filming/scanning settings selected will provide the best possible capture for a given volume or colour illustration. These settings should be recorded on the vendor’s film reel worksheet together with the name of the film/scanning technician, the equipment used and the date of the capture. The description of film stock is required when the images are produced from microfilm scanning. These sheets will be sent to the Library with the films and retained by the Library.

Microfilming: The vendor staff will scan required technical targets, plus targets generated by the Library and use the page listings as a guide to filming with their own page listings after collation. This is the order that was agreed for monographs, following NPO guidelines. Ones in bold type will be supplied by the Library:

1. Start
2. Blank
3. The vendor board
4. NLS copyright statement – supplied by Library
5. Wellcome Trust acknowledgement – supplied by Library
6. Reel number, e.g. Mf.IP.111 – supplied by Library
7. Bibliographic target (Item/shelfmark) – supplied by Library
8. Missing issues/pages (if required)
9. Technical target (inc. resolution charts, ruler, reduction ratio, black and white/colour)
10. Best Quality Available board
11. Any other target boards as needed
12. Blank
13. Target for individual book
14. Book
15. Repeat 13 and 14 as needed
16. Blank
17. End of reel

Annual reports will be treated the same.

[It is recommended that any microfilm camera and equipment used in the copying of rare and archival material features the following adaptations:

     35mm camera head

     Cantilevered, padded book cradle   

     Glass platen to keep pages flat

     Electronic numerators

   Shuttle for the book cradle

   Cool light system  

   Electronic blipping for digital scanning]

• All filming and resolution must comply with BS ISO 61.99: 1991 Micrographics – microfilming of documents on 16mm and 35mm on silver- gelatin type microfilm – operating procedures;

• The largest possible image must appear on each frame of the film. All pages are to be preferably filmed in the IIB position (double-page comic mode, 2 pages per frame, bottom edge of volume parallel to long edge of film), at the lowest reduction ration possible;
• A lower reduction ratio is likely to result in a better image for digitisation – accurate recording of the ratio is essential and should be included on a technical target;
• The Library requires that resolution is determined using BS 4647; 1990 (ISO 3334: 1989) Methods for determining the resolution obtained in microcopying;
• All pages shall be filmed in the order that they appear on the Excel page listing sheet – any alterations by the technicians must be written on the sheet and the Library notified;
• All volumes will be filmed front cover to front cover. Some items have original covers with print/crests on them. For the ones that are plain or hard to discern on film, a white piece of paper shall be placed underneath so that the edges can be detected;
• Standard symbols for microfilm will be used as set out in ISO 9878: Micrographics – graphical symbols for use in microfilming with appropriate text recommended in the National Preservation Office’s Guide to Preservation Microfilming;
• Every reel of film must contain targets that can be read with the naked eye, in accordance with BS ISO 6199: 1991 Micrographics – microfilming of documents on 16mm and 35mm silver-gelatin type microfilm – operating procedures;
• Every reel of microfilm will contain a Library copyright statement as well as an acknowledgement to the Wellcome Trust (boards will be provided by the Library) after the Start target;
• The Library will supply to the vendor the bibliographical targets listed previously. These will be sent by email as Word attachments. These targets will be word-processed and printed using Times New Roman font;
• Loose material must be filmed in situ with an enclosure target;
• Transparencies must be backed by opaque white paper and interleaving used for smaller pages such as some plates and erratum slips;
• Titles less than one roll in length shall not be split between reels;
• Blank pages shall be filmed, and will be in the page listings, see next point regarding foldouts;
• Foldouts should be treated thus: Where a foldout is folded closed before opening it will be page listed as Foldout closed, then when opened, Foldout open, with the blank folded-in reverse side put as [NLSBLANK] and these will be filmed. The blank reverse side of foldouts when opened will not be filmed. This means that what appears like 4 pages will actually be 3 frames, and when scanned it will be 5 images. When digital scanning takes place, the duplicate page before the foldout will be dropped as it is not page listed twice. Foldouts will be measured folded open and this given in cm, height and width, Foldouts closed will not be measured. The Project Manager will supply the vendor with a list of how pages (including foldouts) are listed in the DOD;

Digital scanning from microfilm:

• If filmed in IIB position, each double-page film frame shall be split into 2 single digital pages;
• Each page shall completely fill the scan area and page edges shown;

• Proper image orientation should be maintained for each page;
• The pages shall be aligned on the scanner to ensure little or no skew of the text from the original page (within 0.75 degrees of the horizontal). Skew is measured from the two corners of the document image parallel to the longitudinal edge of the projected image frame;
• Images require a small black border around the edge, except for the gutter edge as this will show the gutter and part of the opposite page;
• The polarity of the original page shall be reproduced;
• Vendor staff will check for aliasing or other distortions, including moiré and apply special treatments to eliminate or minimize their effects;
• All target boards are to be dropped except for Photoshop generated boards to indicate where a colour image will replace the temporary black and white one (see below).

If the vendor has specialist book cradles for filming and scanning these must be used. If items are tightly bound and have not been disbound by the Library the vendor should utilise any hardware (spine bars) or software to correct any distortions and consult the project manager. The Library will only disbind items which have very tight binding that affects many pages.

The Library requires the following outputs:

Microfilm consisting of:

1. Archival quality microfilm negative master film 35mm unperforated, having silver gelatine emulsion on a polyester base of at least 0.10mm thickness and to conform to BS ISO 543: 1990. Photography – Photographic films – specification for safety film. Processing of this microfilm must be carried out in accordance with BS ISO 1153: 1992. Recommendations for processing and storage of silver-gelatin-type microfilm;

 

1. Second-generation negative microfilm produced to conform to BS ISO 6200:1991. Micrographics – first generation silver-gelatin microforms of source document-density specifications, which will be the film scanned for digitisation;

 

1. Third-generation positive film may be made using silver halide, vesicular or diazo film;

 The master negative must be stored in controlled conditions and if possible on a different site from any other copies and from the original material.

The vendor shall provide reels, collars and boxes (specification for these outlined in the quality control section below).

Processed film shall be delivered wound with the START target at the outer end, on storage reels which are chemically inert and sturdy. Film wound onto the reel shall fill the reel but not protrude beyond the edge of the flange of the reel. All film shall be held on the reels with paper bands free of acid, lignin and sulphur and secured with buttons and ties made of a material not harmful to the film. Rubber bands shall not be used.

Processed negative and positive film shall be stored in boxes which are made of non-corroding materials that are chemically stable and physically strong. If plastics are used they should not give off reactive fumes. If card is used it should be free of acid, lignin and sulphur.

All generations of film shall be supplied on individual reels in individual boxes that comply with the specifications above. Working positive film shall be provided on lockable reels. Each box containing each generation of film shall be clearly labelled. There shall be at least two labels on each box. One label shall be placed on the edge face of the box, with another on the large face, which is normally turned inward when stored.

All labels shall be self-adhesive and of good quality. They must have a reasonable degree of permanence, under normal conditions of storage and use. The text on the label shall be legible and ‘permanent’, and for this reason should be printed.

Images from the scanning of the microfilm:

1 x greyscale 8-bit .tif image – produced from each frame of the microfilm by splitting the two frames. This is the master file for digital preservation of the standard surrogate package and compliments the preservation functions of the microfilm.

From the scanning of original colour images/finely detailed images:

1 x full colour (24 bit) .tif image – captured at an equivalent of 400dpi as measured at the surface of the original item. This will act as the master file for digital preservation of the additional surrogate package and compliments the preservation functions of the microfilm.

The Library also requires the .tif images to undergo OCR, producing the following:

1 x .pdf file – text searchable with an image layer to allow the .pdf to be searched while presenting the user with a bi-tonal representation of the original item in the collection with all the formatting left intact.

1 .htm file coded in .xhtml – of the text on the page. All text files will be searchable through a single search box in the web interface. The text will be linked to the images and .pdf in the package.)

Quality control

Microfilm: Vendor staff will carry out these requirements without exception. They will form the basis of random sample quality control by the Library.

• Inspection and quality control data shall always be recorded. A copy of the report should be returned to the Library for each first generation film produced;
• Residual thiosulphate testing should be done to comply with BS 1153: 1991 Recommendations for the processing and storage of silver-gelatin-type microfilm. Tests for residual hypo using the methylene blue test must be carried out on each processor used to process first generation film not less than once a month. The test will be carried out and certified by an independent testing laboratory. Test results must be retained for the duration of the contract plus three months and available on request by the Library;
• Each roll of first generation film shall be inspection frame by frame for visible defects and missing pages. Film shall be inspected on a film reader as well as on a light inspection box. Second generation film must be inspected on a light box to ensure evenness of background density. Clean, white, lint-free gloves must be worn at all times when handling the film;
• Every roll of first and second generation film shall have density readings taken, either roll by roll or title by title, whichever is stricter. There shall be no less than three readings per roll. Results shall be averaged, the maximum deviation from the average not to exceed 0.15. The average density for all film produced should be within the range of 0.9 – 1.4. The vendor will use NPO Group 2 readings of 1.15 – 1.40 for master negative film. For most items, the density range should be between 1.0 and 1.2. First generation master negative microfilm must also have a density of less than 0.16 on unexposed areas. If the density of the original document varies widely, two images may be taken with different exposures. If a specific item requires an exception, it must be noted on the written report form and an explanation made to the Library;
• The reduction ratio used shall be the lowest possible so as to approximately fill the image area across the width of the film as seen on the camera’s projected image area. All edges of the document shall be visible in the image. Reduction ratio changes within the same title should be avoided if possible, but when they must be made (see next point) they shall be preceded by a resolution chart;
• Foldout maps, charts, tables and illustrations that are larger than the size of the text pages shall be filmed in correct order as they appear in the text unless otherwise specified. The very large ones will be disbound from the volumes to allow easier handling. The reduction ratio shall be changed for each oversized image to fit a single frame. After the image is filmed, the camera shall be returned to the original reduction ratio to complete the volume. This process shall be repeated each time an oversize image occurs. When images are too large to fit into a single frame and still be legible, they shall be filmed first as a whole if possible, at a higher reduction ratio so as to fit within one frame at the end of the film, then at the original reduction ratio in sections from left to right and from top to bottom. An overlap of one inch shall be provided between adjacent sections (however, the colour foldouts will be scanned from the original as high-resolution images as well). The large foldouts/images that are filmed in parts in situ will be accompanied by a board placed to explain that it will be shown in one piece at the end of the film. There will be exceptions to this, as some will be too large for the camera to film in one, so these will not have a single image at the end;
• Every roll of first and second generation film shall be evaluated for resolution either roll by roll or title by title, whichever is stricter. This should conform to BS 4657: 1990 (ISO 3334: 1989) Method for determining the resolution obtained in microcopying;
• The test patterns on ISO resolution test chart No.2 should be examined with a microscope and the smallest pattern that can be resolved noted, i.e. the smallest in which all five individual lines in the pattern can be distinguished in both directions. All five test patterns must be read, noting the smallest pattern that can be resolved for each. The resultant resolution is the worst reading, which is obtained from the five results;
• There shall be no more than six splices per roll of first generation film. All retakes shall be spliced in proper sequence. All splices shall be made with an ultrasonic splicer, properly maintained and calibrated. There shall be no splices in second or third generation film. Retakes shall include at least two pages preceding and succeeding the pages being refilmed. There shall be no splices in the technical target sequence and the first ten frames of the text;
• Framing shall be consistent and regular. The image shall not be skewed more than 10 per cent (9 degrees) from parallel with the longitudinal axis of the film;
• Spacing between frames shall be consistent (normally between 2mm and 3mm, unless preset by the camera), the variation not to exceed 50 per cent of the average frame-to-frame distance. Separation between titles shall not be less than 15 cm.

Digital images: Vendor staff will perform quality control to ensure that each page is fully rendered, properly aligned, and free of aliasing/distortions and that the pixel height and image resolution meets the requirements of the Library. Inspection and quality control shall be recorded on the worksheet accompanying each volume.

The vendor should report and discuss with the project manager any problem images that can not be captured to meet benchmark specifications. The vendor will process digital images after capture, such as cropping, deskewing and image rotation and perform an image quality review during and after filming and scanning. Colour images will require two images, one cropped to omit “Mini Color Checker” chart and the other uncropped containing the “Mini Color Checker” chart).

The vendor will leave the edges of pages on the images, with a fine black border around three sides, being only a slight black line on the gutter side. A small portion of the opposite page shall be shown, to give the viewer more information on the layout and binding of the book.  See Appendix for an example of this.

Images must not undergo any interpolation or cleaning other than the transformation to 8-bit greyscale.

The digital files produced from scanning the microfilm/colour images will be properly oriented, ordered and named to reflect the presentation of the original volume. Images should be scanned in the orientation they appear in the bound volume. Each image file will be named individually and placed in a folder named after the microfilm reel number, such as Mf.IP.111.

All file extension names are to be 3 letters long, e.g. .tif. Numbers will contain padded zeros in most cases, such as 0034.

Any colour images will be placed in a folder named after the reel number, such as Mf.IP.111 colour and they will be allocated the same number as the black and white image. They will be noted down on an Excel sheet. See next point about boards.

The Project Manager will rename all files once they have been downloaded, checked and matched, and then the images will be loaded into the library’s Digital Object Database.

All target boards are to be dropped except for Photoshop generated boards to indicate where a colour image will replace the temporary black and white one.

When necessary (e.g., poor image capture of an illustration), the staff will re-scan from the original text/film and insert the image(s) into the proper image file sequence with no additional charge to the Library.

Sending of film and image files to the Library:

• All deliveries need to made within the timeframe agreed with the project manager;
• The vendor will pack the films and files (from the batch just converted) as well as the original materials from the previous batch; the Library may specify that the original materials are to be retained for a longer period by the vendor until it has fully inspected and accepted the digital files (in case of re-scan);
• The vendor will fill out the return part of the packing slip;
• The vendor will bubble wrap and pack all original material in the locked skips in which it arrived and ensure that it is packed carefully so as to minimise damage in transit;
• The vendor will liaise with the Library to track missing or delayed skips.

Project manager:

Mrs Francine Millard

Official Publications Unit,

National Library of Scotland,

159 Causewayside, Edinburgh EH9 1PH.

Telephone : 0131 623 3982

Fax: 0131 623 3996

Email : f.millard@nls.uk

 

This Specification was compiled using the National Library of Scotland’s Microfilming Specifications for the India Papers (2006), the National Preservation Office’s Guide to Preservation Microfilming (2000), RLG Guidelines for Creating a Request for Proposal (1998), and RLG Model Request for Information (1997), technical advice from Library Staff – Lee Hibberd (Digital Library), Rab Jackson, David Kerr, and George Morrison (Preservation & Conservation, Reprographics) and from Phases 2, 3 & 4 of the Medical History of British India Project.