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Work flow text digitization
For large-scale (text) digitization the KB operates according to a standardized process. The work flow has five components:
- Content; Creation of the digitized material (the content)
- Processing; Checks and conversions of the content supplied
- Search & retrieval; Indexing of the text material and the metadata. Application of various techniques to make the material accessible.
- Storage; Storage of the files in various systems
- Presentation; Publication of the digital files on a website
The Databank of Digital Daily newspapers is one of the largest digitization projects of historical material in the Netherlands. In a period of four years an average of 200,000 pages per month will be selected, prepared, digitized, processed, stored and presented. The storage of eight million pages will require 250 terabytes of storage space. One of the greatest challenges for the project is the design of an efficient work flow within which this capacity can be achieved. This applies to both the work flow within the KB and at the supplier of the digital content.
The digitization is outsourced by means of an European invitation to tender. In preparation of the tender a Market research (pdf) amongst fourteen companies was carried out in May 2007. The findings of the market research study (pdf) were incorporated into the specifications of the Invitation to Tender which was published in November 2007. The German company CCS (Content Conversion Systems) has won the tender, they began with digitizing of the first newspapers early 2008.