The MPL Indiana Roving Reporter Room now has a ScanPro 2000 digital microfilm scanner and reader, as I previously reported. My Minions had an opportunity to demonstrate the device to moi, and I must say that "favorably impressed" is an understatement. Just look at the high-quality resolution of this image (at 300 dpi) of an advertisement that originally appeared in The Mooresville Times during January, 1910. (I purposely selected a poor-quality microfilmed image to demonstrate my new gadget. The ScanPro 2000 created a much clearer image than one could have obtained from an old microfilm reading machine.)
Excellent Resolution & Detail on This ScanPro 2000 Digital Image
That's a considerable improvement over our old microfilm reader; what's more, I'd have to print and then digitally scan the paper image to show you the difference. Mind you, the paper image would be quite acceptable--easily legible with good contrast, despite the generally inferior quality of the photography used for this portion of this microfilm--but the printed image is nowhere near as sharp as this digital image.
I can see we're going to have quite a bit of fun doing historical and genealogical research with this baby.
Perhaps you're curious who George R. Scruggs was. I am, if nothing else, a reference catbarian, and local history is my particular bag of catnip. So go here, already.
At present, I'm recommending that only Library Staff (who have been trained to use it) should utilize the ScanPro 2000. So, if patrons would like to research microfilm, the staff will be happy to assist. For the moment, we also have the old microfilm reading machine, which patrons may use themselves (under staff supervision). No offense, but these tools are quite expensive, so we don't want anything broken. No need to raid anybody's piggy-bank.
ScanPro 2000 is Mighty Fine, I'd Venture,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Technology News Beat
P.S. Want to see Scruggs Dry Goods Store again in one of my Library's "treasure trove" local history videos? Say yes, please and thanks. (I have claws, you know. Just saying.)
Wow, that does look amazing! My human used to write synopses for silent and vintage sound films for the All Movie Guide, based on Exhibitor reviews of the day that she found on microfilm at a motion picture library here in the L.A. area. She would have LOVED it if the library had something like the ScanPro 2000 - I wonder if they might have acquired one since those days.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. Can I learn to use it?
ReplyDeleteTLWTRH
Can do, Lady With the Red Hair! Just as soon as Scowl-Face is trained. (But not paper-trained. That's something altogether different!)
ReplyDelete