Auburn University (AUA): experimented with it, Microtec 9600XL flatbed scanner and 4MP digital camera, using flatbed got ca. 1 specimen/2 minutes at 300DPI for a 50MB image

Troy University (TROY): No.

University of Alabama (UNA): Yes, imaged label data but not currently imaging, Kodak DSC 14n digital SLR camera, 0 hrs/wk, 49,703 specimens, images not online, store tif, occupy ca. 2.74 GB, funded by NSF Small Grants for Exploratory Research.

University of South Alabama (USAM): No, but it is long-range goal.

Florida

University of Florida (FLAS): Yes. Replies pasted below:

The highest resolution images are prepared by the staff of the George A. Smathers Libraries Digital Library Center. These images are acquired using a ZBE Satellite large format stationary camera equipped with a PowerPhase ARI cameraback, 135mm Rodenstock lens and daylight filter. Computer support is currently a Macintosh (PowerMac G4) computer system with 17 gigabytes of storage and ~ 800 megabytes of active memory. Camera images are matched with a 1.8 gamma monitor, relative colorimetrics and the "BEST" quality for rendering profiles. Colorimetrics are calibrated using Kodak Q-60R1 target per ANSI IT8.7/2-1993(1999:04). Intermediate processing of digital herbarium images is achieved with Adobe Photoshop 5.0. Final archives are recorded on CD's with accessible images available on the Internet via the Lizardtech viewing source Mr. SID from the Florida Center for Library Automation web server.

Staff and volunteers in the University of Florida Herbarium are acquiring images of selected specimens on a flatbed scanner, Microtek Scanmaker 9600XL and now 9800XL. Specimens are scanned at 400 ppi and saved in tif format (.tif). Most of the specimens available in the Floristic Inventory of Kanapaha Botanical Gardens project are prepared by this method.

Digital images of plant materials taken with consumer model digital cameras prior to pressing are being added to compliment the specimens. Most of these images are prepared and posted in jpeg (.jpg) format.

All tif format images are converted to SID format by the Digital Library Center. The images are made available on the Internet via the Lizardtech viewing source Mr. SID from the Florida Center for Library Automation web server.

We guess that it takes about 40 minutes per image for all aspects of preparing, archiving, SID'ing and adding the image file name in the database. During 2004 891 images were added so this would average out to about 11 hours per week for image-related work.

3031 images 2548 specimens (some specimens have special close-up images) 1515 species

It takes about 15-20 minutes to scan an image with the ZBE Satellite Camera and 5 minutes on the Microtek scanner. We estimate (see above) that each image consumes about 40 minutes of staff time.

Available online.

ZBE Satellite images are ca. 450 DPI (ppi) and have file sizes around 140 megabytes. Microtek scanner images are 400 ppi and have file sizes around 85 megabytes.

TIF. We convert these to SIDs for web service. There are also a few JPG posted.

SID files are around 4 mb each. For 3031 images this works out to about 12 gb.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the Florida Museum of Natural History support the University of Florida Herbarium. The USDA provides some minimal funding for computerization. The Florida Museum of Natural History provides the web server for our databases. The University of Florida Digital Libraries collaborate by providing free imaging services and the Florida Center for Library Automation provides the SID server.

Florida State University (FSU): Yes, Kodak DSC 14n digital SLR camera, 20 hrs/wk, ca. 15,000, online, tif and 2 sizes jpg, 1 terabyte server in RAID array, funded by NSF Biological Databases and Informatics.

University of West Florida (UWFP): No.

Georgia

University of Georgia (GA):

Valdosta State University (VSC): No.

Louisiana

Louisiana State University (LSU):

Tulane University (NO): the Historic Louisiana Collections, Microtec scanner, 0-5 hrs/week, ca. 800 imaged, 10 minutes/sheet, not yet online, store jpg, ample storage space, no funding at present

Mississippi

Gulf Coast Research Lab (HGCRL): yes, Nikon D70 SLR – digital with 12 mm lens, and HP 5550 Scanjet flatbed scanner, 5-10 hrs/week, none imaged

Mississippi State University (MISSA):

University of Mississippi (MISS): No.

University of Southern Mississippi: No.

-- AustinMast - 12 Oct 2005
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