DIGITISATIONLIFE CYCLE

Page Index

Selection
Legal aspects
Preservation of items (video)
Digitisation (video)
Metadata
Digital preservation
Bibliography

Selection

Making an inventory of the collection was the first essential step in assessing the quantity, type and size of the items, and their state of preservation.

A survey of the material produced the following data: inventory, location, name of botanist (birth-death), specific designation of material (e.g. postcard, photograph, painting...), method of creation, dimensions, type of material and dimensions of mount, state of preservation, information on duplicates, if any, and notes.

The selection process involved the entire collection, for the following reasons: historical value and uniqueness, preservation, increased access to content, improvement of services and absence of legal constraints.

Legal aspects

The documents in the collection are subject to Italian Law n° 633 of 22 April 1941 “Protection of copyright and other rights relating to the exercise thereof” and subsequent amendments.

The legal aspects taken into consideration are:

• Portrait of a person: in the case of the botanists portrait collection, a search for the heirs of the persons portrayed is impractical. For the publication of images, reference is made to the exception of article 97, Law n° 633/1941 and subsequent amendments.
• Copyright: photographs represent 70% of the collection, and in many cases are reproductions of other photographs or other works of art. It is important to highlight the distinction between photography as an intellectual property and photography as a simple reproduction of an existing reality. The first is an exclusive right and ownership is protected for 70 years following the death of the author; the second is a connected right and ownership is protected for 20 years from the date on which the photograph was produced.
  In any event, all works come into the public domain once 70 years have elapsed following the death of the author, and this is the status of all images in the collection.
• Acquisition: there is no formal deed by which the collection was donated; it was Pier Andrea Saccardo (prefect of the Botanical Garden from 1879 to 1915) who had the idea of collecting portraits of botanists. Images have been donated to the Library by private individuals and by institutions.

Preservation of items (video)

The preservation of the portrait collection involved the following operations: dusting and housing of specimens with materials to ISO standard, restoration of negatives and framed photographic prints, and restoration of prints.

Video transcription (English translation):

Housing and photographic restoration of the Botanists portrait collection

Housing

The item is removed carefully from the original envelope. First, any loose dust is blown away using a rubber bulb syringe, then both sides are cleaned with a soft bristle brush, applying no pressure whatsoever to the surface. The location is marked in pencil on the original, and the item is then placed in a preservation-quality envelope.

Restoration of glass plate negatives

First, the plate is observed under a horizontal beam of light, on both sides; the characteristics of the item — and any damage — are recorded on a special chart. In this instance, inspection reveals the presence of silver mirroring and traces of graphite.

The glass side is cleaned with a solution of surfactants in water to remove surface dirt (such as dust and grease).
The emulsion side is cleaned with solvent, which can help to reduce the visual impact of the silver mirroring at least in part.
The plate is dusted off with an antistatic brush, housed in a suitable four-fold enclosure, and placed in a preservation-quality box.

In this instance the plate is broken and has been patched up with adhesive tape to keep the pieces together. The adhesive has degraded, and the tape must first be peeled away dry from both sides.

The next step is to take a strip of adhesive tape with a backing material and a type of glue suitable for contact with photographic material, and prepare a number of small transparent sticking plasters that will not show up in prints; these are applied to the glass side only, and will hold the fragments together.

Restoration of positives

Here are some positive photographic prints that have been mounted in frames.
The problems created by poor preservation are immediately clear from the type of mounting: not only is the material unsuitable, but there is a lack of uniformity in the supports utilized.

All the photographs restored were in general dirty, with clearly visible traces of dust, insect droppings, and in some cases larvae, which were also found on the backing materials.
First, the dirt is removed from all of the materials; the prints, in particular, are cleaned using a Wishab sponge.
In this instance the item is a crayon photo, and must be dusted even more gently so as not to remove the charcoal retouches.
The photograph is remounted in the original frame with the addition of a preservation-quality passe-partout to ensure that the photograph remains detached from the glass. In this instance the photograph is mounted on two different cardboard backing pieces, which are retained, and there is a good deal of silver mirroring in evidence. Localized cleaning is carried out to remove grease and dust, and reduce the effect of the mirroring to some extent.

Here, the restorer is working on an image with original colouring applied by hand, which now presents widespread areas of dotted fading. The visual unity of the image is restored by retouching with watercolours.
In this case the original passe-partout has been retained, and a shaped clearance space created between the image and the passe-partout with barrier paper.

Restoration by Lorenza Fenzi
Filming by Lorisa Andreoli

Cutting and editing by Lorisa Andreoli and Alessandra Angarano

Script – Lorenza Fenzi
Voice – Alessandra Angarano

Music – Farid Zehar and Bruno Chauveaux

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To turn captions on, start video and click the small icon in video player

Dusting and housing

Items were treated adopting the following procedure:

• removal of items from boxes and from original envelopes
• removal of dust particles from the image with a rubber bulb syringe, and cleaning with a soft bristle brush
• housing of documents in their envelopes or in folders suitable for preservation. Envelopes were placed in boxes to ISO standard
• return to storage: boxes in a cabinet, and folders in a chest of drawers

The quality of the material is in accordance with ISO 10214 (Photography – Processed Photographic Materials – Filing Enclosures for Storage) and ISO 14523 (Photography - Processed Photographic materials - Photographic activity test for enclosure materials).

Restoration

Glass plate negatives and framed photographic prints were entrusted to a professional photograph restorer; prints were entrusted to a paper restorer.

Digitisation (video)

In accordance with digitising guidelines and best practices, parameter selection covered the size, type, information content and envisaged use of the digital object.
The aim of the digitisation process was to produce master files for preservation; files derived from these master files would then be made available for consultation on local and wide area networks.

In-house or outsourced digitisation

The operation of digitising the Botanists portrait collection was outsourced for the following reasons: the collection is relatively small (2,380 portraits); the Library possesses neither the appropriate equipment, nor the necessary specialist human resources; the work had to be completed by 2008.

The digitisation process was carried out on the Library premises, to avoid the disruption of moving the items and the associated problems of insurance.

The invitation for tenders to provide the digitisation service was conducted in line with Padua University regulations, based on the Specification for digitisation activity of OTEBAC (Osservatorio Tecnologico per i Beni e le Attività Culturali – Technological Observatory for Cultural Heritage and Activities), and on the Request for proposal of the NDCC (Northeast Document Conservation Center) and the RLG (Research Libraries Group).

Selection of equipment

The Botanists portrait collection is heterogeneous in terms of the type, dimensions and fragility of the various specimens, and accordingly, it was decided to use a digital photo capture system requiring no contact with the original, comprising:

• Hasselblad CF39 MS digital back with 39 million pixel sensor and control station
• Hasselblad 500 ELX professional cameras with Planar 80 mm and 120 mm lenses, also PK 35 mm wide angle and Nikon AF 60 mm micro lens
• HMI lighting system providing cold light and flat beam
• Backlit slide viewer for transparencies

Digital acquisition

A. General indications for the master file:

• the original is photographed/scanned in its entirety, with no cuts. A border of approximately 4 mm (or in any event approximately 8 pixels), preferably white, is left around the document.
• if the original is applied to a mount or support carrying information (e.g. photograph in visiting card format), the mount must also be digitised
• geometric accuracy must be observed
• the master file is archived exactly as reproduced by the acquisition tool
• the digitised image of the original must be accompanied by colour scale, grey scale and gauge
• the scales and gauge must not overlap the outline of the reproduced images
• the pixel proportion must be square
• the digitised image must be devoid of reflections, especially in the case of photographs, engravings and framed pictures

B. Requirements for size, resolution, format and compression of files:

Resolution
The effective optical resolution of the captures is tied to the physical size of the originals (the set), as indicated in the following table:

A dedicated post-processing program was defined, with functions that included automatic cropping and automatic positioning on a white background (RGB 255, 255, 255), with a surround corresponding to 102-3% of the dimensions of the object. The automatic process produced a quantity of digital objects which, according to the specific nature of the originals, required a variety of manual treatments.

Format

• Master file for archiving: TIFF uncompressed, colour depth 16 bits per channel (48 bit RGB colour; 16 bit greyscale for negatives), IBM PC byte order, interleaved pixel order, ProPhoto RGB colour profile, with optical resolution depending on the dimensions (see table)
• File derived from master for consultation in LAN or at high speed: JPEG compressed, maximum quality (Adobe Photoshop scale 12) colour depth 8 bits per channel (24 bits RGB), cut out without gauge/Colour, sRGB colour profile to IEC-61966-2.1, resolution 300 ppi
• File derived from master for consultation on Web: JPEG compressed, high quality (Adobe Photoshop scale 8) with colour depth 8 bits per channel (24 bits RGB), cut out without gauge/Colour, sRGB colour profile to IEC-61966-2.1, resolution 96 ppi
• Thumbnails: JPEG compressed medium quality (Adobe Photoshop scale 5) with colour depth 8 bits per channel (24 bits RGB), cut out without gauge/Colour, sRGB colour profile to IEC-61966-2.1, resolution 96 ppi, width fixed at 150 pixels, height proportional

Video transcription (English translation):

University of Padova
University Library System

Antique and special collections section
Botanical Garden Library

Digitisation of the Botanists portrait collection

January 2009

The Botanists portrait collection contains 2,380 portraits of Italian and foreign botanists kept at the Padua Botanical Garden Library.

This is a teaching and information video documenting certain steps in the process of digitising the collection.

The digitisation laboratory set

Digitisation laboratory set comprises:

• 2 light sources
• image capture station (surface covered in black cloth, easel with colour scale, digital camera mounted on pillar)
• post-production station (optimization of digital images by balancing brightness, contrast, etc., and photo retouch where appropriate)

Digitisation of positives

Cleaning of black cloth with brush to remove fluff;

use of white cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints on material being reproduced;

levelling of surface and digital camera;

positioning the photograph so that the sides are parallel with the easel;

image capture front and rear (rear, to record any handwriting or stamps).

Digitisation of negatives

Positioning of plate or film negative on screened backlit surface;

adjustment of digital image obtained.

Download video in HD Download transcription (English translation)

To turn captions on, start video and click the small icon in video player

File naming

File identification was accomplished using the native algorithm from the software owned by the company, already employed in projects of the BDI (Biblioteca Digitale Italiana – Italian Digital Library). The algorithm uses 19 characters plus 4 for the file extension; the encoded characters contain information on the medium, the univocal identifier and the file version.

Storage of data

All files are archived on a server of the CAB (Centro di Ateneo per le Biblioteche – University Libraries Centre) and on two external hard disks, one copy on each. The two hard disks are kept at the Botanical Garden Library and at the Centre (CAB).

Quality control

Using an on-line link to the consulting system of the contracted company, it was possible to check the files during the course of the digitising process and report any defects. Defective files were re-digitised.
Master files underwent sample inspections to check for:

• correct frame alignment and exposure, absence of possible deformations and/or optical aberrations
• containment of chromatic tolerance
• colour depth and profile
• digital size and format
• possible existence of elements having an adverse effect on fidelity of reproduction (e.g. dirt, light reflections, etc.)

In the case of files derived from the master files, the inspection was extended to all available items in order to verify the general quality, and the presence of defects, if any, within and immediately adjacent to the images.

Metadata

Cataloguing of items

The collection is catalogued in accordance with ISBD(NBM) standard. Authors are identified in accordance with RICA (Regole italiane di catalogazione per autori – Italian cataloguing rules for authors.
Cataloguing follows the UNIMARC bibliographic format and was done in Aleph, the management automation system used by the SBA (Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo – University Library System).

Metadata of digital objects

The metadata schema selected was MAG1 (Metadati Gestionali e Amministrativi – Management and Administrative Metadata) – version 2.0.1 - by ICCU (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico – Central Institute for the Single Catalogue of Italian libraries and bibliographic information).
The sections used are: GEN, BIB, STRU and IMG.

To generate the BIB section, descriptive items of metadata in UNIMARC format were exported by Aleph to a single ISO 2709 file and supplied to the company for importation into its operational database.

Digital preservation

The Botanists portrait collection is archived in Phaidra (Permanent Hosting, Archiving and Indexing of Digital Resources and Assets), the management system for digital objects with long-term archiving functions used by the SBA (Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo – University Library System). Phaidra is Europeana compliant.

Publication on-line using Phaidra involves the following workflow: mapping of MAG / Phaidra metadata, script for bulk upload of the collection, creation of collections for obverse/reverse digitised images, trial upload on Phaidra test, migration of data from Phaidra test to Phaidra production and mapping between Aleph system numbers and Phaidra URL so that the URL can be included automatically in bibliographic records, thereby creating a mutual link between bibliographic records and digital objects in the collection.

Bibliography

Andreoli, Lorisa, L’Iconoteca dei botanici e il fotografo Luigi Caporelli, “AFT : semestrale dell’Archivio Fotografico Toscano”, n. 47, a. XXIV (giugno 2008)

Id., Il Progetto di digitalizzazione “Iconoteca dei Botanici” Rapporto tecnico, Padova, luglio 2011

Beguinot, Augusto, I materiali di archivio del r. Istituto ed Orto Botanico di Padova, “Boll. dell’Ist. Bot. della R. Univ. di Sassari”, vol. 1, mem. X (1922)

Minelli, Alessandro (a cura di), L'Orto botanico di Padova 1545-1995, Venezia, Marsilio, 1995, pp. 311

Saccardo, Pier Andrea, La Botanica in Italia: materiali per la storia di questa scienza, Vol. 1, Venezia, Tip. Carlo Ferrari, 1895, pp. 236

Id., La Botanica in Italia: materiali per la storia di questa scienza, Vol. 2, Venezia, Tip. Carlo Ferrari, 1901, pp. 172

Id., La iconoteca dei botanici nel r. Istituto botanico di Padova, Genova, Tip. Ciminago, 1899, pp. 35 (estr. da: Malpighia, a.13, v.13)

Id., La iconoteca dei botanici del r. Istituto botanico di Padova. Supplemento, Genova, A. Ciminago, 1902, pp. 22 (estr. da: Malpighia, a.15, v.15)

Settimana della cultura scientifica 2008: filmato sulla mostra Volti e luoghi dei botanici (Faces and places of botanists) at the Botanical Garden Library