A Story About Technology and Digitization Informed by a Vintage Paperback Book Collection by Cybèle Werts
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Conserving for the Future by Archiving our Past; A Story about Technology and Digitization Informed by a Vintage Paperback Book Collection By Cybèle Werts Abstract: The books, photographs, letters and other ephemera of our past are for the first time becoming completely transformed into the digital bits and bytes of our computer-generated present. What happens to these products as they shift from the corporeal to the technological world? What essence might be lost when a book is scanned into a computer or is part of the Google Book Library Project, and what might be gained? Or is it all energy simply transferred to another medium like when wood is burned in a fireplace turns into to heat energy? This extended article explores these questions using a collection of vintage magazines and paperback books, which provide a lighthearted timbre to a somewhat esoteric subject. Navigating this Information future. After all, it is a familiar reminder that The goal of this article is to look at what occurs in “those who forget their past are destined to repeat the process of transforming products from an it.” analog format (actual items like books) to a digital one (scanned graphics). This is not a how-to guide Those who work with information however, are to scanning or developing databases, however, it is far less likely to forget the past, if only because, a discussion of the considerations around they also recognize the value of the archivable archiving and digitization as they are utilized past more than the average person. Librarians today. It is important to know what is gained and know how to care for both the old world of lost as products change from one form to another, ephemera (things that are temporary – or and how to make the best of that process. “ephemeral” – in nature) as well as in the contemporary world where these same objects are To illustrate these concepts, the article includes transformed into data. Data may seem ephemeral graphics from a collection of vintage magazines on the surface, but can and does live forever on and paperbacks, which provides a sense of what the Internet. happens to an actual group of historical items going through this process, and what choices If there are any doubts about the half life of data conservators have along the way. This includes on the Internet, consider how one accidentally- some of the issues around scanning, digital posted piece of information be repeated ad cameras, and airbrushing and how these relate to infinitum from one website to the next, with no authenticating documents on the internet. This way to ever correct or even catch up with the collection will be used to specifically discuss speed of proliferation. Or consider how people conservation and what happens to collections that have posted photos, blogs, or other material which are online in one format versus another. A little presumably seemed at the time to be “personal,” background and history on vintage materials is but later turned out to be incriminating in ways also included. they could not even have imagined. This is particularly true on the internet where photos, Part I: Beginning the Process of Digitizing videos, and audio clips can be duplicated a Introduction thousand times before they are able to “remove” In 2008, a special year for information specialists, the offending material, at least from the original the organization that has represented librarians for context. one hundred years – The Special Libraries Association –celebrated its centennial birthday. Ephemera: Analog versus Digital Whenever there comes a big moment, it is natural Most librarians are probably familiar with what to look back to our history and forward to our happens when they make copies of a copy and the Education Libraries, Volume 33, Number 2, Winter 2010 47 quality decreases with each generation. This that in the process of being scanned, they become Generation Loss only happens with actual in a way, sanitized. What that means is that they physical objects like a book or an old fashioned look clean, bright and new; pretty much the record; or what are called “analog” products. On opposite of what they actually are. Nothing that is the other hand, “digital” is commonly used as a fifty-plus years old looks clean, bright, and new in descriptor in relation to compact disks, and of real life. In a way, it cannot be helped. The course computers as well. Music records are samples here have the advantage of having been analog (making a copy to cassette tape or CD, scanned professionally, meaning that they were creates a generation loss), but CDs are digital scanned using professional equipment and (creating a hundred copies to iTunes causes no software. Despite that advantage, many details are loss whatsoever, other than a relative amount of lost because of the small size on the page, as well what is called dynamic range). The reason why no as the fact that these pictures are viewed in two generation loss occurs is because digital objects dimensions, while actual magazines and books are made up of zeros and ones, each one being are, of course, three-dimensional. independent of the next. They can be replicated easily, over and over. Just as a side note, the word Scanning and Generation Loss here is analog, not analogue. The word analogue The temporary aspect of ephemera refers to refers to a literary work that shares motifs, objects made of paper which generally have a characters or events with another, but is not short shelf life, and which when copied – as directly derived from it (think analogous). mentioned earlier – cause a generation loss. Why does this matter? Well, it is something to keep in The short version is that ephemera as a group of mind when developing a protocol for dealing with materials are analog. If an old fashioned record whatever paper objects that will be scanned. For was scratched, the scratch would be heard every example, when choosing an object to scan, always few seconds as the turntable rotates, bumping over choose the very best copy of the product at hand. the imperfection again and again (remember: The collection may include several copies of a continuous = analog). On the other hand, a similar particular book, often because one copy was scratch would likely not have the same effect on a purchased less expensively, and then was later compact disk and there would likely be no change upgraded to a higher quality version; higher in the sound. This is because the recorded values quality, perhaps because the printing registration are stored far enough beneath the surface that the was better. Registration has to do with how the scratch does not affect them. A loss of sound printer lays each layer of color down. If the could be discerned however, if perhaps a cat registration is off, then the color won’t fit between scratched the CD, which would result in a chunk the lines; it makes the cover look a little peculiar. of a song being lost. But it still won’t “skip” in the In a case like this be sure to scan the best version way records used to. This is because the CD available. Similarly, always scan the original of a “scratch” disturbed bits of information that were photograph or book cover, never a photocopy – not contiguous. (remember: not contiguous = even if it looks as good as the ones produced from digital). a high-end color printers. What happens to Ephemera when It Gets Digital Cameras for 3-D Scanned? Another option to digitize an object is to use The formal definition of Ephemera includes paper photography instead of a scanner. Photographs items like books, magazines, letters, photographs, yield far more information about size, condition, ticket stubs, advertising, and so on. Take a few and other features because they can show the vintage paperback book covers for example, some condition of the spine, depth of the book, and of which have been converted to digital format for details about the deterioration around the edges. A this article. In looking at them, it can be observed scanner on the other hand, is flat, so the Education Libraries, Volume 33, Number 2, Winter 2010 48 information it receives is only a two-dimensional dimensional standpoint so that the edges and spine side, like the front cover of a book. Photography is can be seen. Others feel that there is no advantage optimal when working with items like a pop-up to the reader to see remainder marks, price children’s book, documents that are designed to stickers, and frayed edges, and so they clean up open up in a certain way, or those which have the book, both physically and digitally. The more depth than a scanner can show effectively, argument for this approach is that the books will like a framed picture. be made to look as close to how they would have when they were new. Whether having vintage The challenge is that taking photographs of books “look new” is a good idea or not is a value products is more difficult than it sounds; and in question that needs not be addressed here. fact there is an entire professional field dedicated to product photography. In addition, digital Cleaning up a book physically often means cameras – easy as they appear in commercials – removing price stickers, which is generally easy to can be challenging for amateurs who don’t know do with some Ronsonol (the lighter fluid), a Q- the basics of graphic design. Scanners are Tip, and a plastic scraper. That is, unless the generally far easier to use as most of them are stickers are also 50 years old and have completely more or less “click and go.” bonded to the book.