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There is an estimated 65 million titles in the world today, a huge proportion of books remain either out of print or locked away in libraries, far from readers' eyes. In a world where digitisation is the primary vehicle of communication and knowledge sharing, the content of more than 600 years of backlog is being held captive between the covers of billions of books.
Until now!
Scan >
At the heart of Book Scan Bureau is the worlds fastest automated book scanner. Capable of capturing a massive 3000 pages per hour, the book rests gently in the SmartCradle™ dynamic book handler, which keeps the book open at exactly 110 degrees thus providing low-stress support for rare and fragile books. This means there is no need for de-binding thereby preserving the integrity of the original documents.
The SureTurn™ robotic arm uses an adjustable vacuum system to gently pick up and turn one page at a time. As the pages are gently turned, two Canon 1Ds MKIII 21.1 megapixel digital cameras in full 24 bit colour in a fraction of a second; one for left-side pages and one for right-side pages. The images can be captured at 325 or 400 dpi resolution with superior sharpness and excellent colour fidelity. 500 and 600 dpi options are available for smaller books.
Book Scan Bureau offers you the fastest, most gentle and most cost effective innovative scanning solution in the world.
Of course, scanning / digitising bound material is not the only thing we can do, we use a vast array of hardware to give us the full capability to capture any content from single sheet to large format sheets or maps.
Restore >
Once captured, all digitised images are evident as thumbnails previews on an adjacent PC screen and are then passed through sphisticated image processing software enabling us to output the original image into any desired output. As part of this process, all images are subjected to an intense image clean-up and improvement. For many books this is a good quality standard, However at Book Scan Bureau we believe that sometimes good isnt always good enough.
That's why we are able to make a whole host of manual interventions and adjustments to repair damaged type and enhance colour to match, or indded, make them far superior than the originals. Only through this highly skilled process, can we restore the captured imagery to acurately reflect the existing document.
Archive >
Once scanned and restored, Book Scan Bureau can deliver the final digital document in a huge array of different formats depending on the final requirment all of which can be provided on CD, DVD, FTP, Flash Drives or even email. We can also store your digital files within our secure electronic library, which offers fast and seamless retrieval.
The scope of a digital library however extends much further than just digital books. In order to to leverage the fullest use and maintain continuity of the digital library to its patrons, the owner also has to manage the entire associated IT infrastructure. At Book Scan Bureau, we are able to advise on the unseen aprects of a digital library including storage, security and back-up.
We have the experience to create high quality metadata, METS / ALTO that enables digital libraries to operate at optimum efficiency. We provide a unique solution that integrates digital information into the production process to ensure seamless workflow and inventory control.
Print >
Although Book Scan Bureau create a large amount of their digitised files for the many electronic publishing and archiving methodologies availabe today, we have the resource to take the service to the next level.
Through our in-house digital printing and extensive bookbinding asset (Hollingworth & Moss Ltd), we can print and produce both hardback and paperback books faithfully and in keeping with the originals supplied.
Bring your books back to life with a huge range of options including:
- Multiple Copies from one original
- Short run edition printing and binding
- Print on Demand
- Unique customisations to match origianl specifications
This is representative of the innate flexibility that Book Scan Bureau can deliver. Whatever you need, just contact us - we'll deliver on time, every time to your exact requirements.
Click here to read more about our Print on Demand capabilities.
