[78-L] Label scanning

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> 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.
>
To make things worse (much!), they then used low-paid student "help"
to transcribe the relevant data from the image archive into a functional
database...! As a result, much of the data is dubious and unreliable...
these students had minimal ability to locate/identify the relevant
data from the nicely-photographed image archive...?!

The applicable question here is whether a/the complete set of
images still exists?! If so, it sh/c/would be possible to assemble
a better database of information therefrom...?!

I was at the ARSC convention where the RD(R)I project was
first announced...in I recall that Len Kunstadt (of RR fame) was
appalled when he learned that "take" data was NOT going to
be included in the final result...?!

Steven C. Barr