Projects and Research with the Library of Congress

Background and History

The interaction between Avian Rochester (AR) and the Library of Congress (LC) can be traced to earlier work with LC by Image Science Associates (ISA). Tom Rieger, Manager, Digitization Services Section at LC, approached Don Williams, who heads ISA, to create a new camera calibration target customizes for the unique needs of the library and archiving communities. On Don’s recommendation, Tom came to AR, and the first contract was established. This work lead to a series of reports generated for LC, as well as paper presentations at IS&T’s Archiving Conference The links below go to pages where the respective each project’s reports are described.

Past Projects

  • Creation of Color Analysis Target
    This project started by identifying the colors desirable for a camera target, and then considered those additional colors most relevant to the cultural heritage community. Other analyses related to the physical properties of the target. Finally the set of completed targets were delivered to the Library of Congress. Date of project: Sep 2015-Aug 2016. Details and full reports
  • Next Generation Target Evaluation
    This project started where the previous one left off. The NGT was analyzed as a camera calibration target, both colorimetrically and spectrally. The ultimate goal was to recommend any improvements to the NGT. Details and full reports
  • FADGI Color Consultation services – Spectral Imaging
    This project began to move away from the NGT specifically and explored the current best practices for spectral imaging. The goal was to identify some practices (hardware and software) that would be practical for the Library of Congress to implement in their digitization systems. Details and full reports
  • FADGI Color Consultation services – Transmissive Imaging
    This project was focused on transmissive imaging, and the development of a prototype characterization target to use with transmissive imaging scanners. Read more.

Current Project

The current project is “Color Expert Consulting Services – FADGI.” The project goals are threefold:

  • Research into prior art and best practice for reflective and transmissive digitization as applied to cultural heritage and other fields of application
  • Adapting advanced imaging techniques to reflective and transmissive cultural heritage imaging, with specific application to the FADGI program and ISO 19264 part 1 and part 2 (under development)
  • Investigation of improved processes for reflective and transmissive cultural heritage digitization

Future

No one can predict the future. It is our hope to continue these interactions and ultimately aid with positioning the Library of Congress as an organization that performs state-of-the-art spectral imaging where appropriate, and high quality color imaging where that is appropriate. The extent the federal government (and its budget process) will cooperate with this goal, no one knows. But we can hope.