Digitization Case Study

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Project Background

ARTimage is a web site funded in part by the Québec government’s Fonds de l’autoroute de l’information (FAI) to bring together the major works from the collections of three Québec institutions: Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MACM), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and Musée du Québec (MQ).

The ARTimage web site contains works that are in the public domain. However, as permission is obtained from copyright holders, the digital images of works protected under copyright will be made available.

Purpose of the Project:

To digitize and make accessible a corpus of images from the collections of the three largest museum institutions in Québec (Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Musée du Québec) and ensure access to these digital images through a virtual presentation on the ARTimage web site.

The Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal :

The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal is the only institution in Canada dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. The museum offers the largest collection of contemporary Québec art and works by the most prominent national and international artists.

The permanent collection contains more than 6000 works (including the largest collection of the works of Paul-Émile Borduas) dating from 1939 to the present. All forms of expression are represented: painting, sculpture, photography, video and multimedia installations, along with a full program of performances featuring avant-garde multidisciplinary productions.

Educational activities held in the museums allow visitors to explore the most recent trends in current art. Set in Montreal's cultural and commercial heart, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal is a government corporation subsidized by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec

The Government of Québec founded the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in 1964, as a service within the Ministère des Affaires Culturelles. In 1983, the government modified its status and the museum became an autonomous body with its own Board of Directors. Its mission is to make known, promote and preserve contemporary Québec art and to ensure a place for Canadian and international contemporary art through exhibitions and numerous other cultural activities.

Digitization Project - Part I (1997 - 1999)

• conversion of data to an in-house collections management system
• digitization of existing visual documents
• standardization of content
• introduction of equipment and technology

Acquiring a Collections Management System:

At that time (1997) the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), was providing a collections management service to the Canadian museum community, which included Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MACM), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and Musée du Québec (MQ). However, as the digitization project was getting underway CHIN had begun a project of disseminating all collections management functions back to the museum community. Therefore, before digitization could take place the institutions needed to acquire an in-house collections management system. The three institutions thus chose and acquired Multi MIMSY software jointly.

Following the acquisition of the new software, the first step in the project was undertaken (over several months): the conversion of the CHIN data to the new institutional database and the standardization of content.

The first grants were given in 1997 by the Quebec government's Fonds de l'autoroute de l'information (FAI) for the digitization of existing visual documents.

Digitization of Existing Visual Documentation:

Project start-up:

The three museums began this project by working together to establish a work methodology.

Digitization technicians were hired at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal to begin the physical preparation of documents. They prepared binders with 100 marked slides each and a corresponding Microsoft Excel file. In other words, for each binder there was a Microsoft Excel file corresponding to the descriptive data for each of the 100 slides. The binders and the Microsoft Excel files, which included the necessary information for digitization, were then sent off-site to a contractor to create the digital images. The Microsoft Excel files were first used by the contractor in order to properly name the scanned digital files and then by the museums for transferring the images and data to the collections management database. This process took over three months.

The digitization stage was even longer and more complex for the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, which unlike the other two institutions, had not prepared the physical inventory of the visual documentation beforehand, delaying beginning digitization.

The Scanning Method

The contractor used a batch scan method, using a visual documentation scanning system capable of scanning 100 slides simultaneously. However, the slides were digitized without any cropping instructions and the museum had to rework the images one by one and redo (at its own expense) part of the work, particularly for the works on paper. Although this method appeared less expensive initially, it proved much more costly. The proposed cost of the operation: $0.90/slide including the work requested (digitization with the 5 formats and the 4 JPEG derivatives). When the image was reworked and cropped, it cost $1.90/slide. For the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, this represented 2500 digitized works, or slightly more than 3000 images.

To discourage unauthorized copying of the images, the resolution available via Internet on the ARTimage site is level three or lower, which makes the reproductions too poor a quality to sell. On the other hand, this resolution ensures access to the images in a reasonable amount of time because of rapid download time. The site thumbnails are level one resolution.

Deliverables from Contractor:

Kodak Photo CD’s were used for archiving the digital images. As a rule, each image on the CD (100/unit) was available at five levels of resolution, with the highest definition corresponding to level five (PCD format). The PCD files were used to create the JPEG derivatives, which were used in the collections management database. The original PCD archival files could not be used for the database as they were very large files, therefore they are kept on a separate stand-alone server.

Future Recommendations when Digitizing

Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Registrar at the MACM, suggests the following tips when digitizing:

• before an institution embarks on a digitization project, they should conduct a thorough physical inventory of the existing documentation and determine, first of all, what is to be digitized.
• to preserve the source of the digital images, they should once digitized, be stored on independent internal and external networks
• pre-processing of slides by cropping the image within the slide before sending it to an outside firm
• ensure you have a visual document that is representative of the work and not more than a few years old (old slides tend to have colour changes with time and are no longer a good quality reproduction of the work of art - there are correctable but this process is difficult, time consuming and costly)
• the digitization hardware requires regular adjustments in order to reproduce the same quality of colours as on the slides (calibration)
• the largest JPEG files were 500x500 pixels (72 dpi), which could only be used for Web dissemination, therefore, know in advance the purpose of creating the digital image
• make sure you have a minimum of 2500x2000 pixels (300 dpi) per digital image in order to obtain a good print or to transfer onto slides

Summary (Part I)

The work produced by the contractor for the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal was suitable only for short-term Web use however, it did not meet the quality standards of our web site project nor the needs for future use of the digitized images (corrections had been made only to the JPEG files at 72 dpi and not to the original high-resolution PCD files from the scans thus limiting the use of the images and compromising the conservation of the corrected digitized images with compressed files). The museum redid all of the digital images. Two digitization technicians were hired, and they used the original PCD master files to create a high-quality TIFF, and then corrected the image to meet the museum standards. These TIFF files were then preserved as the ‘master’ or archival copy from which the JPEG surrogates were generated. Using the Microsoft Excel files initially prepared with the slides, a script was programmed to transfer all the JPEG files and their data to the database and link each image to its proper record.

The two other institutions (with some exceptions) accepted the contractor’s digitization work. They also hired digitization technicians who made further corrections to certain images and used the same script to transfer the data of the Microsoft Excel files and the digital files to the database.

Digitization Project - Part II (2000-2001)

Objective:

To photograph and digitize the works in the collection for which there was no visual documentation. They also wanted to develop a complete, functional and effective process for the digitization of new acquisitions and for the entry of the digital images, both on the ARTimage site and in the institutional database.

Funding:

The Quebec government's Fonds de l'autoroute de l'information (FAI) continued its funding for the second phase of the digitization project. Although the number of items from each of the museums (Musée d’art contemporain, Montreal museum of Fine Arts and Musée du Québec) collection was not the same, the amount of the grant ($275,000.00) was divided equally among the three museums (±$90,000.00/institution). Part of the amount was used to purchase equipment and each institution digitized the greatest possible number of works with the remaining money.

Process:

One person in each institution was assigned as the manager of the digitization project.

• Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal- Anne-Marie Zeppetelli
• Musée du Québec - Lise Nadeau
• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Éric Vanasse and Danielle Archambault

Over a period of twelve months each of the institutions followed essentially identical steps in the process. The following is the process for the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.

1. A schedule of work was established (based on the needs, internal activities and works to be digitized).
2. A list of works was prepared.
3. Staff was hired (sub-contractors).
4. Equipment purchased (Coolpix 990 digital camera, photo equipment, a number of 128 Meg memory cards, PhotoShop software, digitization software, image server, MIMSY server, CD burner, all the peripherals, a multi-media work station).
5. A designated area was set up to prepare and photograph the works.

A server (network operating system) was set up dedicated solely to storing and processing the images in order to make digital file management faster and safer. It was also decided to automate the transfer of all the digital images produced during the project to the database server with the help of an informatics consultant. The image server stores the archival TIFF files and the collections database server contains the derived JPEG files (please refer to table below for image file specifications).

File Name	Format	Dimensions (pixels)	Resolution (dpi)	Comments		Storage
TIFF	TIFF	2048 x 1536 (max)	300	Master archival file of corrected image		Image Server
E (enormous)	JPEG	2048 x 1536(max)	300	Copy of the master file for quality laser copies		MIMSY Server
G (big)	JPEG	500 x 500	72	Copy of master file for Web use and Mimsy database		MIMSY Server
M (medium)	JPEG	300 x 300	72	Copy of master file for Web use and Mimsy database		MIMSY Server
P (small)	JPEG	180 x 180	72	Copy of master file for Web use and Mimsy database		MIMSY Server
TP (very small)	JPEG	96 x 96	72	Copy of master file for Web use and Mimsy database		MIMSY Server

Procedures for Digitzation:

• preparing lists of works for the digital photography sessions (to facilitate the photographic sessions, lists are sorted by storage room location and measurements)
• photographing of the works to create the digital image
• transfer of the digital photographs to the computer (capture station)
• processing of images (the digital images were processed using Adobe Photoshop software)
• verification of the images against established standards
• generation of five JPEG formats and the storage of TIFF images on the network image server
• preparation of Microsoft Excel files for entry of the images into the database
• automated entry of all the digital images in the database
• verification of the images linked to the records of works in the database
• verification of the content and the entry of information into the ARTimage web site

Activities conducted over twelve months:

2000	Activities
June	Analyzing the project Reviewing and choosing equipment Preparing the list of works to be digitized Hiring a photographer
July	Purchasing the equipment Testing the digital camera (lighting, filters) Testing for shooting Testing the image correction process Setting up a photography studio Hiring a digitization technician
August	Creating a dedicated network for image management Preparing for reception of images in computer network Hiring a technician to coordinate the photo sessions Hiring two technicians to handle the works Beginning digital photography sessions for paintings Correcting images (image manipulation)
September	Continuing activities: photographing paintings correcting images Creating Microsoft Excel files for image entry Scanning visual documents
October	Verifying digital images in preparation for entry in database Preparing the list of works to be digitized by category and in order of priority (paintings that have not been digitized, framed works on paper and unframed works on paper)
November	Preparing the station for scanning visual documents (slides and colour transparencies) Hiring a second digitization technician Digitizing visual documents Finishing photographing paintings Photographing sculptures and framed works on paper Setting up a photography studio (works on paper) Correcting images
December	Photographing works on paper Correcting images Digitizing visual documents
2001
January	Finalizing image corrections Finalizing digitization of visual documents Verifying corrected images
February	Preparing Microsoft Excel files for entry of images in operating database Generating five different formats of JPEG files Preparing entry of digital files in database
March	Installing an image server for the TIFF format of all the digital images of works in the collection Finalizing the generation of 5 different JPEG file formats Programming and entering digital files in the database
April-May-June	Verifying the textual and visual content following the entry of the digital files in database Preparing records flagged for the ARTimage site

Summary:

From the digitization project:

1. A new work methodology was established for documentation and dissemination of the works in the permanent collection of the three institutions.
2. A digitization process is currently operational and will make it possible to continue the digitization of works, in particular for new acquisitions and annual entries.
3. This project has considerably enriched the potential for dissemination, since most of the major works in the collections now have a digital image available. Moreover, access through in-house databases to the images of works in the collection is a large step toward a more effective and more accurate work methodology for all members of the museums’ staff.
4. We should also note that the images digitized during the project are now found on the ARTimage site, thus offering the participating museums a significant dissemination tool. This virtual showcase, in which more than 60% of the works are those of Québec artists, provides significant visibility not only for the permanent collections of the museums, but also for the artists represented.
5. For copyright reasons, most images of the works of artists from the private domain were not immediately available on the ARTimage web site. Only the images of works from the public domain and works from the private domain for which the museums have obtained copyright releases are disseminated in ARTimage. As the necessary authorizations are obtained from copyright-holders, ARTimage will display more digitized images of copyright-protected works for which the data sheets are already on the site. Consequently, representation of contemporary art is lacking in comparison to other types of collections. It thus proved impossible to deliver through ARTimage a completely finished product representative of the work done and available in the in-house databases.
6. By digitizing and making accessible a corpus of images from the collections of three major Québec museums, this project also allows the three institutions to position themselves favourably on global information dissemination networks.
7. For Musée d’art contemporainde Montréal, the digitization project made possible the creation of an internal museum site accessible via Intranet for all employees. This site provides some dozen areas of information on each of the works including their associated images. All the textual and visual content is taken directly from the collections database, which means up-to-date information can be disseminated.

For the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, this second phase made it possible to attain the following objectives:

• digital photography of 2,370 works in the permanent collection*
• digitization of 380 existing visual documents
• transfer of digital files to internal network
• linking of images to the institutional database
• preparation of images for dissemination on ARTimage site
• creation of a virtual showcase and dissemination of the collections on the Web

* Upon completion of the first and second phase of the digitization project, 87% of the collection was digitized totalling 5220 works of art.

Appendice I

List of questions raised during the interview:

1. Description of project
2. Purpose of digitization?
   2.1.     project objectives?
3. Project planning
   3.1.     project start-up date
   3.2.     is the project still underway?
4. Project plan
5. Was it prepared internally?
6. How many people were involved in the project?
   6.1.     who? (position - archivist, photographer, technicians, etc.)
7. Were external services used?
8. What was digitized?
   8.1.     Text accompanying images, artefacts?
9. Was a grant obtained?
10. What costs were incurred?
    10.1.     Did you sub-contract certain tasks?
    10.2.     What were the costs?
11. Were the works sent out to be digitized?
    11.1.     Did you have to inventory and transport these items to have them digitized by a sub-contractor?
12. What standards were used?
    12.1.     (metadata on resolution, etc.)
13. Were the items suitably catalogued?
    13.1.     were the works catalogued?
14. Were the copyright authorizations given before or after?
15. Did you have problems with the copyright?
    15.1.     If so, how did you solve them?
16. Do you keep an original of the image?
17. Did anyone in your organization receive special training for this project?
18. What method did you use to store the information? (archiving)
19. What were the "positives" and "negatives" of your project?
20. How did you generate your files? (structure and rules for assigning names used)
21. What were your preservation problems?
22. What criteria were used to choose the items to be digitized?
23. What was the process used?
24. How did you choose the format and resolution?
25. Evaluation of quality
26. Documentation of metadata; did you indicate it in your collection management system?
27. Delivery of images
28. What type of expertise did you need to digitize your collection?
29. Equipment used

Written by: Nicole Deutsch (Présidente, Monde & Musée) Edited by: Anne-Marie Zeppetelli (Registrar, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal) and CHIN