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Background and purpose of the get off EssayIntroduction.The Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project was sponsored by the subroutine library of Congress Preservation station in cooperation with the case Digital Library Program (NDLP). This report includes copies of sample images created during the projects Phase I, which extended through 1995.1 During 1996, Phase II of the project created a testbed of 10,000 images of disseminated multiple sclerosis items from the Federal battleground Project collection in the Librarys Music Division. These images atomic number 18 now online as a part of that collection selected examples have been referenced and make accessible in later sections of this report. Background. The Library of Congress is developing its capabilities for providing computerized access to its collections. In part, this means wrestling with practicalities of production and identifying and testing a broad hunt of tools and techniques. In part, it also means i nvestigating the ramifications of digitisation as it pertains to preservation, understood to include some(prenominal) the conservation of the original item and the conversion of originals through preservation reformatting.Preservation reformatting refers to the copying of items as a safeguard against loss or damage, i.e., insurance that the worlds heritage go away be kept alive for future generations. Today, nigh preservation reformatting consists of microfilming, although other types of copies are also made. Two features are of special concern to those responsible for carrying out preservation reformatting the faithfulness of the copy and its longevity. This demonstration project was concerned with the former, i.e., image quality. Other parallel projects are investigating longevity issues.2 The Library commissioned the Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project because it believes that certain classes of manuscript documents lend themselves to the creation of digital copies t hat are faithful to the originals in a reasonably efficient manner.The Library was cognizant of the work being carried out by the Cornell University Library regarding printed matter3, and saw that manuscripts would make for a useful demonstration project at the Library of Congress. A key issue for the Library is finding the nigh judicious balance between conserving precious original documentsprotecting them from damageand achieving a reasonably rapid rate of conversion. The outcomes of this project are expected to assist the Library in designing models for further conversion applications for the Librarys collections. Manuscript collections. The manuscript holdings of the Library of Congress include extensive papers of individuals and organizations, many from nineteenth and twentieth century America.Since the Librarys digitization efforts are initially focused on its American holdings, this demonstration project emphasizes the physical types of documents found in these papers collec tions. The specific test documents were selected from the Federal Theatre Project collection held by the Music Division. The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was a New Deal effort that employed out-of-work playwrights, actors, directors and stagehands to produce and perform plays in many American cities during the latter years of the Great Depression. For the purposes of this project, a manuscript page was defined as a separate handwritten or typed winding-clothes of paper, in general at A size or legal size, i.e., from 8.511 inches to 8.514 inches.The test documents include scripts, administrative files, and complys of theater genres commissioned by the FTP. During Phase I, a place of documents was used to produce a variety of sample images for study. Examples of these images illustrate this report and are accessible from Appendix A. A portion of the sample set stand for paper in good condition with reasonably clear, dark writing on a reasonably light background. The other portio n of the preservation inquiry sample included documents that represent typical scanning problems * a mix of colors or pencil and ink,* low contrast and carbon copies of typed materials in which the edges of the typeface imprint are soft, * documents that have extraneous markings or print-through. The Document Digitization Evaluation Committee. The Manuscript Digitization Demonstration Project was carried out by go for Elements, Inc., working in close relationship with a special Document Digitization Evaluation Committee. This charge was made up of Library of Congress mental faculty members (listed here alphabetically) representing various units with an interest in digitization.* Ardith BausenbachAutomation Planning and Liaison Office, Library Services* Julio BerriosPhotoduplication Service* Lynn BrooksInformation Technology Services* capital of Minnesota ChestnutManuscript Division* Carl FleischhauerNational Digital Library Program project planner and contracting officers techn ical representative* Nick KozuraLaw Library* Basil MannsPreservation Research and Testing Office* Betsy ParkerPrints and Photographs Division* Ann SeibertConservation Office* Leo SettlerAutomation Planning and Liaison Office* Tamara SworaNational Digital Library Program project planner and contracting officers technical representative* Peter WatersConservation Office* Walter ZvonchenkoMusic DivisionThe committee met on a regular basis during Phase I. At these meetings, Picture Elements representatives reported their survey findings, presented sample images, conducted tours of sites at which special scanners could be examined, and led the discussions that in conclusion resulted in the findings and proposals provided in this document. The activities of Phase II are reported in Sections 12 and 13. The projects findings are summarized in Section 14.Developing Project ObjectivesProposals should include both terminuss and objectives. Goals provide an overall philosophy, a concise statem ent to the purpose of the whole project. Objectives relate directly to the goals and say what you are going to do, but not how you are going to accomplish your goals. The Methods or Procedures section describes how. A well-considered project will have one to three main goals, several objectives related to each goal and many action steps to take to achieve each objective.Objectives discuss who is going to do what, when they will do it and how it will be measured. For example At the end of the three-day training session (when), workshop participants (who) will infuse quantitative reasoning into one course (what) as determined by a survey distributed and reviewed by a panel of knowledgeable faculty members.Objectives discuss the desired end results of the project, not how those results will be accomplished. For example, an objective would not be to take a shit a new Art Gallery. That is a method, or one way to accomplish the goal of building the audience for art appreciation. Objectiv es for this goal might be to Increase attendance from the local community (what and who) within the next five years (when) at the scheduled art exhibits, as indicated by daily registers of attendees. AND/ORAffect the level of art appreciation (what) within the local community (who) by offering an annual series of four regularly scheduled lectures (when) as measured by pre- and post-surveys of audience members.Writing research objectives are somewhat different, since basic research involves the generation of new knowledge rather than changing a behavior or developing a product. Research objectives may be stated as hypotheses or as research questions. Research objectives/hypotheses/questions are generally short. For example, research objectives might be to* Determine the impact of contaminated sewage water on the thirty fish population in Barnegat Bay. * Identify the needs of the fish industry in preventing the loss of these fish due to contamination. * Formulate guidelines for the w astewater treatment plant to meet the needs of the fish industry and the xxx fish.Objectives should flow logically from the problem statement/needs assessment. After identifying a set of objectives, you can develop methods and activities that will lead to these objectives. The evaluation plan will follow easily from well-developed objectives.