The National Library of Norway has recently installed a state-of-the art film scanner from dft. The Scanity HDR is the second film scanner purchased by the National Library, which leads the way as a new modern digital national library and the nations ‘national memory bank’, safeguarding its collection for future generations.
The National Library is in the process of systematically digitizing and archiving its entire collection of newspapers, pictures, books, sound, manuscripts, film and parliamentary reports – from the Middle Ages to present day materials. Huge progress has been made, and the library is already able to offer online copies of all books, published up to 2000, to anyone holding a Norwegian IP address.
The Library holds copies of all Norwegian films, videos and television programmes, in addition to many foreign films distributed in Norway – as well as an important collection of documents (such as posters, stills and scripts) related to films distributed across the country.
Located in Mo i Rana and Oslo, the team responsible for digitizing the film content have been tasked with completing the entire film collection of over 21,000 titles before 2030 – a significant project in itself. Martin Weiss, Audiovisual preservation specialist at the National Library explains why a second Scanity was needed for the project: “We have had a very good experience with our first Scanity, and as the National Library of Norway plans to digitize all of its film titles, we needed to expand our scanning capability.”
The new scanner from dft has been developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials. Its patented HDR technology is adept at capturing data from dense black and white materials and its ‘wet gate’, a fluid tank which the film passes through, fills any surface imperfections with fluid at the point of scan. In addition to delivering superb, crisp pictures at high scanning speeds, users 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.
Working alongside dft’s scanning capability, the National Library’s solution integrates the Dot Hill AssuredSAN® Ultra48™ storage solution, to manage the great quantity of data generated during the process.
Weiss adds: “With our new Scanity HDR, we are looking forward to testing the potential quality improvements that come when scanning black and white film, and also using the new wetgate system.”
Simon Carter, Director, dft added: “dft is delighted that the National Library of Norway has invested in a second Scanity for this important project. The team have already seen what can be achieved using Scanity – in terms of picture quality and through-put – and we hope that this new addition will further enhance their workflow, so that they can manage and capture the best possible images from even the most damaged and delicate film materials.”
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.
For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org.
Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org
Press contact: Jump PR Contact: Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv
