When skilled volunteers suggest that the archives work room equipment is out of date, often they are right. We are, after all, inherently old‐fashioned.
Thanks to Chuck Mobley and the City of Salmon Arm’s Grants‐in‐Aid program, the archives work room has a new scanner. Digitally copying new additions–to the 15,000 archival images and negatives–
continues at a great clip. The scanner helps with our outreach program and is also used to supply the Observer and Facebook with submissions to our “History in Pictures” posts each week. The new scanner also better serves our researchers, who can then access digital copies of our photographs and negatives remotely!
The last scanner, purchased in 2006, served us well. But after 17 years, and an accidental scratch to its scanning bed, its age was clearly showing and reflecting in our images. Chuck and the other volunteers were frustrated. There were already more than enough imperfections in the historic images! Our technology was adding more!
We researched brands, talked to other museums, and settled on an Epson Perfection V850 professional model. The new scanner took a month to arrive. We unpacked, loaded the software, and crossed our fingers. Only grandma‐types work in technology around here!
In the end, Chuck approved and happily continues his work in preserving Salmon Arm’s history.
A big thank you to Chuck and to the City! We couldn’t grow access to our collection without your help.
Footnote:
The Grants‐in‐Aid program is administered by the Shuswap Community Foundation (SCF). Because the archives department has so few ways to make money, grants from the SCF make a huge difference.
Photo credit:
Nancy Tait, Archives volunteer with six years experience in the archives, using the new Epson V850 Pro scanner.
Featured Image: https://epson.ca/For-Home/Scanners/Photo-Scanners/c/h220
Tags: digitization, archives collections, glass plate negatives, photographs