Musings of a NARA Researcher: Hurdles to Scanning

Our first day of scanning at NARA Seattle using the tools of the trade - a Fujitsu Snap Scan and a lap top computer.

As noted in my previous blog post, my colleague, Angie, and I were contracted by the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), to digitized the boarding school records housed at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Seattle location. The project, which was funded through a grant, supported the digitization work for two contractors in Seattle for six weeks working five days a week from 9:00AM to 4:00PM (the operating hours of the NARA Seattle Reading Room). NABS originally had a specific digitization goal set for us - produce a collective output of 40,000 scans. Now, on paper, that seems reasonable, but in reality it was far from it.

As an experienced collections steward who has digitized numerous materials, I can definitely attest that scanning times are dependent on a variety of factors, most notably, the type of scanner you are using, the nature of the materials you are digitizing and the well-being of the individual who is conducting the actual scanning. Although, at first, 40,000 scans (20,000 scans per individual scanner) may seem reasonable for a six-week project, once you delve deeper into the nature of the digitization project, and break down the aforementioned factors, you come to realize 40,000 scans is a a bit of stretch.

First, scanners are everything. At home, I use the ever-popular and industry standard, the Epson V600 flatbed scanner. However, although permitted to use at NARA Seattle, the Epson V600 is not very portable and can be quite cumbersome to transport. Additionally, even though it can scan at high resolutions, which are ideal for archival digitization standards, high resolution scans, even for an 8 1/2” by 11” document, can take time which is not quite helpful when you have a short period of time and want to capture as many scans as you possibly can. As such, NABS opted to use a Fujitsu Snap Scan portable overhead scanner. Although the Snap Scan is very easy to transport via a handy dandy carrying case that comes in the form of a back pack, the highest resolution possible for them to capture is 600dpi. Now, this level of resolution is great for sharable formats but it’s not quite ideal for archival standards, however, let’s put that aside for now. In regards to user maneuverability, the Snap Scan is quite easy to use and the scans, at its highest resolution setting, for an 8 1/2” by 11” or larger document, takes about 10 to 15 seconds to scan and this is if you don’t come across any errors. In my case, they were more frequent than not during the first three weeks of my stay so my daily scan totals were as low as 230 scans per day in those early days. However, after losing almost an entire day of scanning to work via telephone with the help team from Fujitsu, I was able to get the scanner working better, building my daily scan totals up to around 600 to 800 scans per day. So what is the main challenge with the Snap Scan? Well, it’s the software updates. My scanner was having difficulties because just before I received the scanner from NABS (as they provided us with all the scanning equipment including laptops), Fujitsu developed an updated software for the Snap Scan. NABS had installed this update but for some reason, the update created problems whenever the scanner reached up to 100 pages in an ongoing scan. Once it was corrected, the errors became almost nil with some occasional moments thereafter but they were manageable. All of these scanner issues, however, affected my overall scanning performance so it is a factor many should consider when conducting scanning projects.

The second factor that affected our performance was the nature of the materials we were scanning. Most of the documents we were scanning were dated to the early 1900s when it was popular to record documents on thin sheets of paper called onion sheets. Onion sheets have a similar texture and strength as today’s tissue paper. Not the plush Quilted Northern kind but the “cheese wheel” kind you often find in sports arena bathrooms. Add several decades of wear and tear and they additionally become brittle and sensitive which means they must be handled with care and take time to carefully separate from one another in a folder and then lay flat to be scanned as they can stick together due to static electricity. On top of that, NARA requires scanners to place small identifier tags on top of all scanned materials which takes more time to place and remove in between scans. Additionally, because the sheets are somewhat transparent, it is important to place a solid color piece of paper underneath each onion sheet to help increase the visibility of the printed text/image. Another challenging factor is the wide variety of fasteners that are found in old documents such as staples, pins, and tacks. All of these, take even more time to remove and sometimes even require the help of one of the archivists at NARA who use small spatulas to help remove them.

Just a sample of the variety of fasteners you can find on archival documents.

The final hurdle to scanning is the well being of the scanning technician. Scanning often requires lengthy periods of time either sitting or standing while staring at a computer screen so that the technician can edit and organize the scanned images. The result is body stress and strained eyes. To add to the mix, NARA is an archive. As such, it must maintain the appropriate environmental conditions to ensure the stability of its holdings. This means cooler dry temperatures which if not kept in check by the visiting researcher, can lead to dehydration and hunger pains since all liquids and food are not allowed in the reading room. Because of all this, it is important for visiting researchers to take frequent breaks and a suitable lunch to ensure they are maintaining their health. In addition to the physical stress, are the mental and emotional stress that can arise from processing sensitve materials. In this case, the student records of former boarding school students which often document abuse, neglect and cultural trauma.

Some challenging content you can come across in archives is not just the information that is documented but also how it is documented. You can often find antiquated or offensive language such as the phrase used in this correspondance.

So what is the reality of conducting a digitization project remotely? First and foremost, even the best laid plans will probably go awry so being flexible is paramount. You will often not know the nature and condition of the materials you are scanning until you are actually on site. Your equipment may also not function properly or need to be adjusted to better suit the location, the materials or even the internet connection if that is a factor. Second, don’t forget to ensure the health and well-being of your workers. They are your greatest asset and if they are working remotely, they have the added stress of being away from home and possibly living out of a suitcase which can be challenging even at the best of times. They need your ongoing support.

For Angie and I, all of this meant that our actually scanning performance ended up being around 30,000 scans (around 15, 000 scans per individual) after all that was said and done. Luckily for us, NABS was understanding and supportive. They used our initial visit as a learning opportunity to help their future research teams to pivot and adjust.

Angie and I with the amazing archival team from NARA Seattle: Patty, Michelle, Britta and Crystal (sadly, Valerie was absent).