[78-L] Label scanning

[Michael Biel]

  On 9/19/2010 6:21 AM, Milan Milovanovic wrote:
> Also, you can scan lead in groove geometry.
> For data under the label (when appear, rare but there are records with such
> data) you will need rather good photo camera with good lightning.
>
> From: "J. E. Knox"<rojoknox at metroeast.org>
> When I scan labels, I include the dead wax where things like matrix
> and take numbers live. YMMV.

Back in the 1970s and 80s when ARSC undertook the Rigler-Deutsch Record 
Index, a special microfilm camera was devised and built to photograph 
every pre-microgroove record in the member archives and create the data 
files from the films.  The entire record was photographed twice, once 
lit to see the grooves and markings, and the other exposure lit and 
filtered to make the label readable.  The company which designed the 
camera had put together a small record collection with every known label 
color combination and set up a lighting and filtering protocol for 
each.   Remember, we are talking about black and white photography.

The camera would be taken to the archive so that the records would not 
have to be shipped.  In those ancient days before micro-computers, data 
entry for the huge mainframe computers was done on key-punch machines as 
big as a car.  The data entry team did not have to handle the records.  
The other benefit is that the films exist, and I think each of the five 
original member libraries has a set.  They also were available for sale 
for a few years and I wish I could have afforded them.  In addition, the 
camera still exists.  ARSC now owns it, and one of the libraries houses it.

My major regret is that they did not follow my suggestion for 
ring-lighting which would have evenly lit the groove surface and make 
optical replay possible with the now emerging technology.  Yes, this is 
something I had envisioned even that long ago.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com