THE CONVERGENCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DATA, AND MANAGEMENT IN A LIBRARY IMAGING PROGRAM

Integrating advanced imaging and processing capabilities in libraries, archives, and museums requires effective systems and information management to ensure that the large amounts of digital data about cultural artifacts can be readily acquired, stored, archived, accessed, processed, and linked to other data. The Library of Congress is developing advanced digital imaging capabilities into effective preservation and verification tools as part of a larger scientific preservation study, processing, and research system for implementation by other institutions. An integrated hyperspectral imaging system provides a critical nondestructive tool for research into paper, parchment, photographic, and other objects within the Library and other cultural heritage institutions. This article addresses the implementation of this capability and appropriate metadata standards and the impact on the development and convergence of information architectures and systems in libraries, archives, and museums.