Dear Colleagues,
Following is a summary of responses to my question on setting up a
'scanning workstation', which several members asked me to summarize for
the list. I'm sure you'll
find this information as useful as I have.
Thanks again to all those who responded!
Irene Puchalski
Librarian
Shore + Moffat Library
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
University of Toronto
[log in to unmask]
Original question:
I would like to set up a scanning workstation in the library and am
interested in hearing from those with such a set-up. What kind of
equipment and software are you using? Any recommendations? Any pitfalls?
Who troubleshoots when there are problems...library staff or IT staff?
Is your material being seriously damaged by scanning (i.e. broken
spines). Anything else I should know?
Responses:
Because of the many "Library Use Only" materials in our library, the
first
piece of equipment I requested when I got here was a scanner. We have a
dedicated workstation at one end of our L-shaped circ counter (not the
business end). It is a stand-up station, no chair or stool.
The scanner is used every day and is the single most used piece of
equipment in the library.
Hardware: MicroTek ScanMaker 4 scanner, Power Macintosh G3 w/ 100 MB
zip drive
Software: Adobe Photoshop 4.0 (not latest version), minimum
installation
There is a note on the machine informing patrons that the station is for
scanning only, not for image manipulation--that's why only the minimum
installation of Photoshop needed for scanning and no chair!
The patrons can save the image to a zip disk (we made sure it was
compatible with the media labs on campus, though they are rapidly going
to
250 MB, so we will have to upgrade at some point), or they can upload it
to
their folder on the university's server to download later at a lab, at
home, etc.
I taught our staff how to scan--it's really pretty simple, the manuals
are
on the workstation, too (but they are not very helpful). We keep
barebones
scanning instructions next to the workstation. Many of our patrons
already know how to use the equipment.We troubleshoot except for
hardware problems which we refer to Systems (IT).
So far materials are not suffering. We always examine our Closed Stack
materials to determine whether or not they can be photocopied or scanned
without damage.
Our scanner has a bed that accomodates a legal sized sheet. (Items may
be
reduced when scanned, but patrons don't usually want to do that.) I
would
recommend that you go no smaller than that, unless your collection is
all
miniatures ;-) This size does not accomodate all of our folios, but the
greatest demand in
our library is for that size or smaller, so we manage fine.
Shannon Van Kirk, [log in to unmask]
Head, Art & Architecture Library, Miami University, Oxford, OH
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Here at the Reference Library, we are setting up a Digital Design Studio
on the first floor. It will be a fancy affair with oversized scanners,
software of every kind
and a Mac, etc. It was supposed to be opening this week, actually,
however due to some delays in delivery, it will open in a couple of
weeks. When it does, would you like me to notify you so you can take a
look?
Margaret English, [log in to unmask]
Toronto Reference Library
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For a few semesters now, the library here has had the following
equipment: Hewlett Packard ScanJet 6200C, operating with Hewlett
Packard
Precision Scan Pro 1.01 software. Yes, the structure of some of the
material may be compromised, given the modest dimensions of the screen
(9 x 12”)
but the security of the materials, especially the serials, is greatly
enhanced, since students no longer have reason to remove them from the
library if they wish to incorporate images into their Autocad &
Photoshop
presentations.
Adobe Photoshop 5.0 is installed at the workstation, but since all the
computers in the building are on the academic network, students can save
the images to their accounts, move to one of the labs if they prefer,
and work with those images elsewhere. The disadvantage in this is that
students must log in whenever they sit down at one of the work stations,
and, if they simply want to consult the OPAC, they must log in,
a procedure which seems to be slower each semester. With some
persistence on my part, there is one work station in the library with no
login requirement and with a connection to the OPAC.
Scanning instructions, tested for user friendliness by me, who had never
scanned anything previously, were developed by the library associate
here. Although the academic systems coordinator installed the
equipment,
he is not terribly available, and, fortunately, problems have been few.
There is surprisingly little intervention needed; the instructions seem
to be clear.
Since there is no charge for printing at this institution yet, although
there is for photocopying, a few of the saavier students use the scanner
as a copier. My feeling is that, if the institution chooses not to
charge for printing, all the power to them. The printer nearest the
scanner work station is a Hewlett Packard LaserJet 6MP, but another
advantage of the network is
that students can print to any device on the network, including the
plotters.
Also operating with the software is a Polaroid Sprint Scan 35 slide
scanner, which library staff use for mounting review sessions onto one
of
the school's Web sites.
Paul Glassman, [log in to unmask]
Director of the Library, New York School of Interior Design
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We are setting up a scanning station here. Our current plan is to have
the
library computer staff support it. We will be running the latest
version
of Photoshop on a powerful Mac. We had a scanning station at the Art
Library at Cornell University where I used to work and it was a very
popular item, esp. since we have a color copier attached. The set-up
there
was not as successful because we were asking the machine to do too much;
in
addition to scanning and the Internet we had two 6 bay CD towers and all
the accompaning software loaded; not a good idea!
We have a color copier/scanner/printer (just arrived last week!) which
will
be attached to the scanning station when it is set up, probably next
month.
Our scanner will be 12" x 17"; since studio artists will be major users
we
want to give them maximum flexibility.
We are charging 50 cents a print but NOT guaranteeing print quality.
(Print at your own risk is our motto!) Printing Services on campus will
do color copies for $1 a page and
guarantee quality, so we will send the casual user there.
At Cornell we had a HP color printer and it was wonderful.
Barbara Q. Prior, [log in to unmask]
Head, The Clarence Ward Art Library
Oberlin College
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At the Visual Arts Library we have two scanning workstations for
students to scan images from books that do not circulate. We are using
G4 computers that run the Macintosh 9.1 operating system. Each G4 is
connected to it's own Microtek ScanMaker (we have one ScanMaker III and
one ScanMaker 4 which also scans slides). Our scanners have 17" screens
and that size seems to work fine for us. We have found the ScanMaker
software not too complicated and have tried to have written instructions
at the scanning stations. We also use Photoshop 5.5 for image
manipulation but we encourage students to work on their images in other
labs at the school. Students must sign up at the circulation desk to
use the scanners and they must leave their school ID. They have only 1
1/2 hours to do their scanning.
The scanners are both networked to the library's main black and white
printer (HP LaserJet 8000 DN) and our color HP DeskJet 970Cxi. The
color printer is located behind the circulation desk and we charge 50
cents per page. The black and white printing is free at this time.
There are two part-time more technical people on the library staff and
when they are here problems get referred to them. When neither of us
are here, we have an assistant slide curator who knows how to scan and
some student workers know how and try to help. I try to sit down with
new staff and show them the basics but otherwise problems wait until one
of us gets in.
Myra Schechtman, [log in to unmask]
Technical Coordinator, Visual Arts Library, School of Visual Arts
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ARLIS-L archive has an interesting discussion on this. One that was
suggested was the UMAX professional series. I am looking at the UMAX
Powerlook 2100 XL. There is also the Epson 640 XL. I am waiting for the
only dealer in the area (Boston) to obtain a display model of the UMAX.
Kathy Ritter, Librarian, [log in to unmask]
Art Reference Library, The Currier Gallery of Art
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