Digital Imaging Technology and Equipment for Libraries,
Museums, Laboratories and Field Work

OPUS DIGITIZATION WORKFLOW SYSTEM

When an end user accesses a sought-after image, the primary purpose of the entire digitization effort is met. From start to finish, digital image production is a manufacturing and delivery process which should be likened to an assembly line. To date, the digitization process in many libraries has concentrated on the input (scanning) side, and fulfillment via the Internet and Content Management Software. What has not received sufficient attention is integrating and automating the entire workflow with particular emphasis on what happens between scanning and delivery. Opus systemizes, integrates, automates and batch processes: control and management of image files, job tracking, post image processing, quality control, collection and entry of metadata, creation of derivatives, and fulfillment to various sources.

Image Access of Boca Raton Fla. had addressed those issues in the commerical world for many years. Accepting the challenge of a major research library to achieve a truly device-independent, integrated and automated workflow, they created Opus. Opus combines production technologies of the commercial document capture world with the special needs of the Academy. The result is a high performance digitization workflow that can be customized for large and challenging digitization projects or used 'out-of-the-box.' In either case, Opus improves productivity and therefore reduces both the cost of production and the time it takes to complete a project. The bottom line is reduced labor costs to the library, and faster access to content for end users.

Opus is offered in a standard 'single station' configuration or you can build your own completely customized system. The Opus system consists of any number and combination of different modules:

1. Assigment of a unique file name and identifier for the volume or digital object expressed in a bar code which accompanies all pages in a volume for the purpose of job tracking

2. Image creation including the ability to scan two pages at a time

3. Batch and manual Image processing including curvature correction, basic image correction, AIAXact color correction and shaping routines, and specialized book corrections associated with Book Scanning

4. Selection and customization of metadata templets (e.g., Mets, Mods, Dublin, etc.) which allow for automatic and automated collection and entry of metadata

5. Batch creation of single or multiple derivatives such as Jpeg, Tiff, BNP, PDF, etc.

6. Batch OCR conversion

7. Backup and Release to content managment systems, web sites, etc.

Opus can be spread among many workstations using multiple operators working on specific aspects of a project at different points in time, or configured as a single workstation.

Opus features