01 February 2019

The Library of Congress, the world’s largest library and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States of America, has recently purchased and installed Scanity 4K HDR, a state-of-the-art film scanner, following a highly competitive, rigorous tender process.

The Library’s Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia, houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of American and foreign-produced films, television broadcasts and sound recordings. The facility houses over 7 million items, including more than 3.6 million sound recordings and more than 1.8 million film, television and video items, representing more than a century of audiovisual production.

The new scanner, which was installed in the Autumn 2018, will work alongside existing dft Spirit data scanners to maintain and preserve the library’s aged motion picture heritage.

Scanity 4K HDR was chosen for its ability to gently handle delicate and damaged film material, whilst at the same time getting the best possible quality image from black and white stock. Developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials, the patented HDR technology is adept at capturing data from dense black and white materials to deliver superb, crisp pictures at high scanning speeds. The Library of Congress will also benefit from Scanity’s renowned safe and gentle film handling – ensuring even the most delicate of film can be scanned for future generations to enjoy.

John Carter, digital film preservation specialist said: “We are delighted with our new scanner. It suits our purpose perfectly, enabling fast, yet gentle scanning of some of the nation’s oldest and most delicate film projects.”

Simon Carter, director at dft added: “We have worked with the Library of Congress for many years, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to continue supporting them with our latest technology.” Editors notes:

dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide.

dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India.
www.dft-film.com

Further information:

Library of Congress
John Carter, Digital Preservation Specialist
Email :jcarter@loc.gov

dft
Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director
Email :simon.carter@dft-film.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853
Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371

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