UPDATED Advanced Imaging: Exploring Multimodal and Spectral, from Simple to Complex
Instructor(s): Fenella France and Meghan Wilson, Library of Congress
Level: Introductory
Duration: 2 hours, with a 15-minute break
Date: Wednesday, 01 June
Time:
    New York: 10:00 – 12:15
    Paris: 16:00 – 18:15

Benefits:
This course enables the attendee to:

• Expand their digitization capabilities through the integration of spectral imaging and other simple image processing techniques that capture more information from documents. This includes learning techniques that range from small-scale basic capture to advanced all-in-one systems, to basic 3D imaging.
• Gain skills to focus on best practice, standardized procedures, and effective digital spectral project planning.
• Hear an in-depth overview of the types of cultural heritage information and knowledge that can be accessed using a spectral imaging system.
• Understand and assess illumination modalities (reflected, side-lighting, transmitted) to best meet the needs of specific collection materials.
• Review benefits of spectral imaging in relation to specific research questions.
• Integrate the priorities of scholars, curators, and researchers in digital projects.
• Learn challenges and tools for managing large imaging datasets and metadata.

Course Description: Digital studies of cultural heritage collection materials are moving beyond simple RGB image capture to include multispectral imaging and multi-modal imaging integration. These non- invasive imaging systems provide specialists and researchers with a tool that can reveal hidden information and additional useful data that enables a deeper understanding of collections. The incorporation of a multispectral imaging workflow allows recovery of erased or obscured writing, exposure of important provenance features such as watermarks, the identification of inks and colorants, and provides a means for in-depth analysis of creation techniques and material characteristics. These features are important for scholars, authentication, "fingerprinting", and the care of collections.

This course examines the types of information that can be captured from simple RGB channel separation through to spectral and 3D imaging that can be undertaken. The session will move from basic to advanced capture, to explore unknown information hidden within the original source material and explain the types of image processing that can be beneficial for acquiring this data.

Intended Audience: A wide range of professionals who work with collection materials from libraries, archives, and other heritage institutions, and are interested in expanding the scope of information they can capture from these materials. Individuals who are planning to work on collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that would benefit from spectral imaging. This includes preservation professionals and scholars; scientists and engineers; digital specialists, database administrators; program managers and directors; archivists, curators, librarians, and heritage researchers.

Fenella France, chief of the Preservation Research and Testing Division, develops non-destructive imaging techniques for collections. Her focus is spectral imaging and processing techniques to increase links between scientific and scholarly data. She received her PhD from Otago University, New Zealand, and has worked internationally on many heritage projects. She serves on a range of professional committees, collaborating with colleagues from academic, cultural, forensic, and federal institutions. She is currently on the Advisory Board for CHANGE – Cultural Heritage Analysis for New Generations, UCL Cultural Heritage Data Management, and CLIR.

Meghan Wilson is a preservation science specialist in the Preservation Research and Testing Division at the Library of Congress with a degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She has worked extensively on spectral imaging programs around the world and specializes in operation, training, quality control, and data management of this imaging technology.

Cost:
Member $ 85
Non Member $ 95
Student $ 45

For office use only: