Digital ReeL Microfilm Conversion Solution Selected and Implemented by Watsonville Public Library
Sunnyvale, California (PRWEB) March 23, 2017 -- BMI Imaging Systems, a leading provider of microfilm conversion solutions, microfilm scanners and document management solutions, announced today that Watsonville Public Library has selected and implemented Digital ReeL.
The Watsonville Public Library has been serving the City’s population of 50,000 residents for over 100 years .The Watsonville historical newspapers are an important aspect of the city’s past, so the Library’s goal was to preserve its historical data and provide its patrons simple, open access to its archive. Digitally converting the newspaper’s archive from microfilm to an easily accessible digital solution became a priority.
“Watsonville selected Digital ReeL because it was priced competitively. It offers a simple, web-based interface that delivers online access to the historical newspaper archive, opening the information up to on-site and remote visitors like never before,” states Heather Geddes, Principal Librarian.
Geddes states, “One of the first things we did is contact the newspaper publisher and request permission to post the newspaper archive online. We received permission as long as we were at least one year behind the current year.”
“A solution that would be online-ready and accessible from our web-site was key to unlocking this archive for all patrons, regardless of their location,” Geddes states. “BMI’s Digital ReeL offered a full-text searchable Internet-based interface that made it the right solution for our library archive, right now.”
Today, the Watsonville Historical Newspaper Archive (1864-2012) is digital and available online (access the digital newspaper microfilm archive here; scroll down to Watsonville Historical Newspaper Archive). Anyone who visits the Watsonville Public Library web-site can access this archive. Geddes states, “The BMI staff was incredibly supportive and informative with answering our questions. Their experience with other library newspaper archives helped them understand our requirements.”
Since the digital newspaper archive solution has been live (2016), there has been an average of 25,000+ image requests per month on the Watsonville digital newspaper portal. The archive is now available from anywhere at any time and more people than ever can simultaneously access the archive.
With Digital ReeL, the Library has the assurance that its digital newspaper archive won’t degrade in the future.
Read the full newspaper microfilm conversion case study here.
Learn more about BMI’s Digital ReeL microfilm conversion solution.
About BMI Imaging
BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. has been at the forefront of the document management industry since 1958, first with microfilm and now with scanned images. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with an additional production and sales facility in Sacramento, BMI serves over 500 commercial companies and government agencies, converting an average of 3 million images per month. BMI consists of 60 production specialists and support staff, many having worked for the company for ten years or more.
BMI has developed a wealth of experience in several vertical markets (e.g. healthcare, government, education) and offers customized document management solutions in a competitive and changing marketplace. Scanning paper documents or physical microfilm is usually the most visible task in achieving a full document solution. Identifying record types, determining indexing methods and leveraging content in existing legacy systems are all skills needed to modernize an agency’s document management systems and processes. BMI’s systems integration team has decades of experience to achieve this goal. Internally developed software tools, over 400 to date, are regularly employed to solve complex image and data challenges. Jobs that require analysis, data extraction, multiple service offerings and custom development are those that separate BMI from other providers.
Will Whitney, BMI Imaging, http://www.bmiimaging.com, +1 (800) 359-3456 Ext: 217, [email protected]
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