From Paper to Pixels
In the digital age, there is an increasing demand for assets to take the form of electronic documents that change the way in which print media is viewed and experienced. In particular, the demand for the digitization of printed books is on the rise. “Moving knowledge from books to bytes” is the motto of Kirtas Technologies, Inc., pioneers in the transition from analog to digital media. In a new partnership with RIT’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection, the Kirtas Digitization Process will transform Cary’s rare books into searchable media, enabling scholars and end-users to obtain invaluable data and information from otherwise rare and inaccessible sources.
Initially developed and researched at the Venture Lab at Xerox Corporation by Dr. Lofti Belkhir, the project was intended to research and create an alternative to conventional methods of book scanners which lacked automated page turning and to replace auto-feed devices that were too destructive, and forced users to de-bind originals. Although funding was cut to research and develop the book scanner project (code name: Golden Gate), Dr. Belkhir was urged to seek an exclusive technology license from Xerox and start his own company. Along with engineering contributions in the Rochester NY area, since 2001, Kirtas Technologies continues to refine and develop its initial technological masterpiece.
Kirtas’ book scanning machines vary from more basic models to larger, faster, more efficient models with superior optics. Kirtas Technologies was nominated by the World Technology Network (WTN) in 2004 for its development of the APT BookScan 1200 as the “world’s first truly automated book scanning system”. All models are based on a disruptive digital imaging technology, called “SureTurn”, an advanced page turning technology (APT) which was designed to safely and consistently handle the client originals while simultaneously taking a picture of each page that is turned. To give a range of the models available, the “low-end” model is the APT 1200 (1200 pages /hr, one 12.8 megapixel EOS-5D Canon digital camera) and the “high-end” model is the APT 2400RA (2400 pages/hr, with two 16.7 megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark II Canon digital cameras). For cutting edge innovation that continues to evolve, as you might imagine, as the quality rises, so does the price.
For RIT, this provides an opportunity to capture precious documents and have them preserved indefinitely as digital assets. This presents an ideal opportunity for users outside the RIT community to share these rare and valuable books, with a number of other options in the works. Selected works from the Melbert B. Cary Graphic Arts Collection in the Wallace Library at RIT have already been digitized by Kirtas Technologies, with more on the way very soon, including works on the history and practice of bookbinding, as well as various collections of rare and classic books and typographical specimens will be available for the first time in digital form. What this means is that scholars and end-users will have access to these invaluable materials and will also be able to purchase and download full-color, high-resolution images at a reasonable price.
Another feature of this process will be the creation of a “virtual reading room” where students and users can engage in scholarly dialogue concerning primary resources in a particular discipline or may submit private annotations on selected texts. Access to these resources will be made available through a portal to establish these dialogues. These digitized books and type specimens will be press marketed through the Cary Graphic Arts Press, RIT’s University press and publishing agency. This digitization marks an exciting phase in the evolution of educational resources, archival sciences, as well as the transition from paper to pixels.
The market for technology such as the Kirtas book scanners varies in services and arrangements. Kirtas Technologies builds book scanning machines for purchase, and also offers software that is compatible with other scanning equipment (both individual and batch processing), as well as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) conversion and indexing. In addition to machinery and software, Kirtas also offers a scanning service for individuals, corporations, and institutions who wish to outsource their materials for digitization, consultation services, as well as printing and binding services. Kirtas Technologies has also partnered with Microsoft in the past, which also serves to support their status as a reputable company offering substantially superior and invaluable services.
The digitization of rare and classic books, type specimens, and other printed media will present another opportunity for end-users to access these digital assets. Frank Cost, RIT professor of digital publishing and printing, co-director of the RIT Printing Industry Center, as well as associate dean of RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences created “instant books,” which are available through Lulu.com, one of the world’s fastest-growing sources of print-on-demand books.
These books are among a number of publications by faculty, staff, and students produced through OpenBook@RIT, a new online publishing venture between RIT Libraries, Lulu.com, and ColorCentricCorp. Lulu.com lists more than 45,000 titles, with more than 1,000 new items added each month. The ColorCentric Corporation develops world-class demand print organizations by providing print solutions, organizing workflow, as well as making it possible for individuals to publish their work, whereas in the past, only large publishing companies were able to afford the costs involved. Luckily, ColorCentric and its partners make it possible for smaller quantities to be published. Through integrated web-to-print service, the user can request a copy of the book to be printed, and have it shipped within 48 hours of placing the initial order. With technology like this at our fingertips, we have entered the twenty-first century with a momentum that caters to the end-user, which is essentially taking power from the hands of big business and putting it into those of the consumer.