Search results

1 – 10 of over 5000
Article
Publication date: 11 April 2022

Richard A. Hawkins

This study aims to highlight the potential of digitised historic newspapers.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to highlight the potential of digitised historic newspapers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a review of digitised historic newspapers as a primary source for marketing historians. It provides a survey of what is available internationally free of charge to the user. It also includes examples of the use of digitised historic newspapers drawn from the author’s own research.

Findings

The paper reveals the huge potential for marketing historians of what is now available in a growing number of countries across the world. Much of this material is available free of charge to researchers with a connection to the internet.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to explore digitised historic newspapers as a primary source for marketing historians.

Details

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-750X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2023

Dilawar Ali, Kenzo Milleville, Steven Verstockt, Nico Van de Weghe, Sally Chambers and Julie M. Birkholz

Historical newspaper collections provide a wealth of information about the past. Although the digitization of these collections significantly improves their accessibility, a large…

Abstract

Purpose

Historical newspaper collections provide a wealth of information about the past. Although the digitization of these collections significantly improves their accessibility, a large portion of digitized historical newspaper collections, such as those of KBR, the Royal Library of Belgium, are not yet searchable at article-level. However, recent developments in AI-based research methods, such as document layout analysis, have the potential for further enriching the metadata to improve the searchability of these historical newspaper collections. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors explore how existing computer vision and machine learning approaches can be used to improve access to digitized historical newspapers. To do this, the authors propose a workflow, using computer vision and machine learning approaches to (1) provide article-level access to digitized historical newspaper collections using document layout analysis, (2) extract specific types of articles (e.g. feuilletons – literary supplements from Le Peuple from 1938), (3) conduct image similarity analysis using (un)supervised classification methods and (4) perform named entity recognition (NER) to link the extracted information to open data.

Findings

The results show that the proposed workflow improves the accessibility and searchability of digitized historical newspapers, and also contributes to the building of corpora for digital humanities research. The AI-based methods enable automatic extraction of feuilletons, clustering of similar images and dynamic linking of related articles.

Originality/value

The proposed workflow enables automatic extraction of articles, including detection of a specific type of article, such as a feuilleton or literary supplement. This is particularly valuable for humanities researchers as it improves the searchability of these collections and enables corpora to be built around specific themes. Article-level access to, and improved searchability of, KBR's digitized newspapers are demonstrated through the online tool (https://tw06v072.ugent.be/kbr/).

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2010

Roswitha Poll

The purpose of this paper is to present results of NUMERIC, a project of the European Commission that started out to define measures and methods for assessing the current state of…

4018

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present results of NUMERIC, a project of the European Commission that started out to define measures and methods for assessing the current state of digitisation in Europe's cultural institutions (archives, libraries and museums). The central task of the NUMERIC project was to develop a framework for the collection of statistical data that would be most suitable to give a national overview of digitisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The project developed definitions and data collection methods for the intended survey. After testing the survey in a number of archives, libraries and museums, the project team collaborated with nominated experts in each member country for choosing an adequate sample of cultural institutions throughout Europe.

Findings

In spite of all differences between countries and institutions, the project attempted an estimate of the present state of digitisation in Europe. According to the statements of the responding institutions in the sample, only about 19 per cent of the analogue collections in cultural institutions have as yet been digitised, for about 30 per cent the institutions do not plan digitisation, and at least 50 per cent of the analogue collections in cultural institutions are still waiting digitisation.

Research limitations/implications

As many questions in the survey could only be answered by some of the institutions, some results – especially usage data – are not statistically valid. Different samples of cultural institutions in the countries, different completion rates of answers for each question and differing interpretations of “digitisation” have affected the results.

Originality/value

The paper acquaints professionals in culture statistics and in digitisation projects with the set of well‐defined statistical data that was tested in the NUMERIC project. It also shows the problems and limitations of these data.

Details

Program, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2009

Perry Willett

The amount of library material available online is staggering, but still at very early stages in terms of discovery tools. Without a centralized source to search digitized

1412

Abstract

Purpose

The amount of library material available online is staggering, but still at very early stages in terms of discovery tools. Without a centralized source to search digitized collections from these projects, it is important to understand their goals and distinctions between the services they provide. This paper aims to describe the complex landscape of mass digitization projects and their impact on interlending and document supply.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes the history, goals and achievements of the mass digitization projects. It also looks at the sites that aggregate digitized materials from these projects and their interfaces for providing access.

Findings

The number of library collections now digitized has reached numbers unimaginable even just a few years ago. The impact on interlending and document supply will likely be limited in the near term, since much of interlibrary borrowing is for materials published in the past decade, and much of the digitized content from this period is restricted in Google Book Search, the only mass digitization project to undertake digital conversion of copyrighted material. End users will be able to discover materials of interest in new ways, but are likely to need or want to see the print source for recent publications.

Practical implications

Library staff members need to understand these projects and how they differ from one another in order to provide optimal service to their readers.

Originality/value

The paper is a guide to negotiating the landscape of mass digitization, with an overview of the projects and their goals and accomplishments, with analysis of the impact on interlending and document supply.

Details

Interlending & Document Supply, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-1615

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2011

Duncan Birrell, Milena Dobreva, Gordon Dunsire, Jillian R. Griffiths, Richard J. Hartley and Kathleen Menzies

The purpose of this paper is to present the outcomes of digitisation of special collections: mapping, assessment, prioritisation (DiSCmap), a JISC and RIN‐funded project which…

2307

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the outcomes of digitisation of special collections: mapping, assessment, prioritisation (DiSCmap), a JISC and RIN‐funded project which studied users' priorities for the digitisation of special collections within the context of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

The project produced a list of 945 collections nominated for digitisation by intermediaries and end users and a user‐driven prioritisation framework. Data were gathered via web questionnaires. Focus groups and telephone interviews with end users provided additional insights on the views of those working within particular domains or disciplines. Over 1,000 intermediaries and end users contributed by nominating collections for the “long list” and providing opinions about digitisation priorities.

Findings

The long list of collections nominated for digitisation provides evidence of identified user interest and is not merely a “snapshot” but a significant outcome. A user‐driven framework for prioritising digitisation was also produced. The project suggests a flexible approach for prioritising collections for digitisation based on the use of the framework in combination with the long list of collections.

Research limitations/implications

The project did not undertake a representative study; the participation of intermediaries and end users was a matter of goodwill. Yet 44 per cent of HEIs in the UK nominated special collections to the long list.

Originality/value

The paper provides new insights and evidence on user priorities for the digitisation of special collections. It also suggests a user‐driven digitisation prioritisation framework of benefit in future decision making, both locally and nationally.

Details

New Library World, vol. 112 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 May 2023

Kimmo Kettunen, Heikki Keskustalo, Sanna Kumpulainen, Tuula Pääkkönen and Juha Rautiainen

This study aims to identify user perception of different qualities of optical character recognition (OCR) in texts. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of different…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify user perception of different qualities of optical character recognition (OCR) in texts. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of different quality OCR on users' subjective perception through an interactive information retrieval task with a collection of one digitized historical Finnish newspaper.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on the simulated work task model used in interactive information retrieval. Thirty-two users made searches to an article collection of Finnish newspaper Uusi Suometar 1869–1918 which consists of ca. 1.45 million autosegmented articles. The article search database had two versions of each article with different quality OCR. Each user performed six pre-formulated and six self-formulated short queries and evaluated subjectively the top 10 results using a graded relevance scale of 0–3. Users were not informed about the OCR quality differences of the otherwise identical articles.

Findings

The main result of the study is that improved OCR quality affects subjective user perception of historical newspaper articles positively: higher relevance scores are given to better-quality texts.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this simulated interactive work task experiment is the first one showing empirically that users' subjective relevance assessments are affected by a change in the quality of an optically read text.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 79 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2013

Kate Wells

Purpose – ‐‐ The aim of this article is to locate and describe collections of digitized primary sources of value to scholars and librarians in the fields of women's history and…

1290

Abstract

Purpose – ‐‐ The aim of this article is to locate and describe collections of digitized primary sources of value to scholars and librarians in the fields of women's history and gender studies. This bibliography focuses on digitized primary source collections related to the global history of women.Design/methodology/approach ‐‐ This article provides an overview of subscription databases and open access websites dedicated to women's history primary source collections available electronically. Priority was given to sites with materials or transcriptions available in English, those that represented a diversity of aspects within women's history and those that are curated by scholars in the field or supported by academic institutions. Two major criteria for inclusion in the list were that a large portion of the collection must focus on women's history and that the site could be navigated in English.Findings ‐‐ The majority of these collections are focused mainly on the history of American and British women and secondarily on the history of women from other cultures and global regions. While some primary sources have been digitized and made available online relating to Asian, African, South American and Latin American women's history, they appear as part of more general regional primary source collections.Originality/value ‐‐ Though there are a number of excellent librarian or scholar web guides available online, a thorough examination and comparison is lacking from professional literature.

Details

Reference Reviews, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0950-4125

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2021

Stephanie Sussmeier and Heather Perez

The purpose of this paper is to determine digitization selection strategies to optimize usage by examining digital collections at Stockton University, comparing the library-driven…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine digitization selection strategies to optimize usage by examining digital collections at Stockton University, comparing the library-driven projects to the community-driven ones.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study of digitization selection strategy for Special Collections and University Archives, comparing library-driven to community-driven approaches.

Findings

Based on webpage analytics of the digital collections, community-driven digitization projects are more successful than library-driven ones.

Research limitations/implications

As a case study, this paper only analyzes a select number of digital collections from one institution.

Practical implications

Those responsible for digitization selection may wish to allow community members to propose collections for digitization.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, no other known studies have used user analytics to compare community-driven digitization projects to library-driven ones.

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2014

Eleni Galiotou

The purpose of this paper is to describe the creation and exploitation of a historical corpus in an attempt to contribute to the preservation and availability of cultural heritage…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the creation and exploitation of a historical corpus in an attempt to contribute to the preservation and availability of cultural heritage documents.

Design/methodology/approach

At first, the digitization process and attempts to the availability and awareness of the books and manuscripts in a historical library in Greece are presented. Then, processing and exploitation, taking into account natural language processing techniques of the digitized corpus, are discussed.

Findings

In the course of the project, methods that take into account the state of the documents and the particularities of the Greek language were developed.

Practical implications

In its present state, the use of the corpus facilitates the work of theologians, historians, philologists, paleographers, etc. and in the same time, prevents the original documents from further damage.

Originality/value

The results of this undertaking can give useful insights as for the creation of corpora of cultural heritage documents and as for the methods for the processing and exploitation of the digitized documents which take into account the language in which the documents are written.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 December 2022

Lara Corona

This study aims to provide an overview of the usage of stored collections in museums located worldwide. To achieve this purpose, some results gathered across five continents…

3124

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide an overview of the usage of stored collections in museums located worldwide. To achieve this purpose, some results gathered across five continents through a survey conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 are set out.

Design/methodology/approach

Museums hold collections so that people can benefit from them. Items need to be preserved as well. To achieve this purpose, a considerable portion of museum collections is kept in storage. Consequently, museums that can show a significant part of their whole collections are few and far between. This scenario implies collections, the “very heart” of museums, are not accessible to the general public. In addition, the lack of space and the poor documentation exacerbate the scenario in terms of accessibility. This study aims to provide an overview of the usage of stored collections in museums located worldwide. In order to achieve this purpose, some results gathered across five continents through a survey conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 are set out. The research figures show that only 5% of museum stored collections are accessible to the general public. To enhance the accessibility of stored collections, museums have been adopting some strategies. Amongst them, some museums have opened up visible storage, lent or exchanged their items. Despite their contribution to overcoming the burning issue related to the accessibility of stored collections, these strategies imply a physical presence of visitors so as to enjoy collections. Digitization of collections is one alternative strategy adopted by a plethora of museums to increase the accessibility of collections. This solution boasts many advantages inasmuch as it overcomes many of the typical disadvantages of the other strategies, such as geographical constraints. Moreover, people can enjoy collections, and museums can ensure the adequate preservation of them. Thus, the digitization of items is the epitome of accessibility since, potentially, all collections can be made accessible, and museums can take care of them simultaneously. The study highlights the benefits of digital access and compares it with physical access. In addition, the research sheds light on how documentation supports collection management and increases accessibility.

Findings

The research figures show that only 5% of museum stored collections are accessible to the general public. To enhance the accessibility of stored collections, museums have been adopting some strategies. Amongst them, some museums have opened up visible storage, lent or exchanged their items. Despite their contribution to overcoming the burning issue related to the accessibility of stored collections, these strategies imply a physical presence of visitors so to enjoy collections.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study are based on quantitative analysis. Therefore, this study might be integrated with interviews' with visitors. It would be interesting to shed light on people's opinions concerning what museums are doing in the digital realm, such as the digital content in terms of the number of items, quality of images and ease of searching.

Practical implications

This study might provide practical implications for museums and people. One important contribution is the awareness of how the appropriateness of collections management plays a crucial role in preserving collections and making them accessible to the public. Another possible implication is that museums can enlarge their visibility through digital content, both because they have not digitized and due to the dimension of their digital content. This goal might be achieved by sharing the staff with specific expertise with other institutions or recruiting volunteers and involving local communities in common tasks (so that professionals could dedicate themselves to more skilled undertakings). An alternative might be to network with local universities so as to benefit from practitioners in the digital field. Last but not least, these findings could raise the awareness that museums are facing the problem of making stored collections accessible, thereby increasing the trust in museums from the general public.

Social implications

Digitization of collections is one alternative strategy adopted by a plethora of museums so to increase the accessibility of collections. This solution boasts many advantages inasmuch as it overcomes many of the typical disadvantages of the other strategies, such as geographical constraints. Moreover, people can enjoy collections and museums can ensure the adequate preservation of them. Thus, the digitization of items is the epitome of accessibility since, potentially, all collections can be made accessible, and museums can take care of them simultaneously.

Originality/value

The study highlights the benefits of digital access and compares it with physical access. In addition, the research sheds light on how documentation supports collection management and increases accessibility.

Details

Collection and Curation, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9326

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000