General Category > Comic Related Discussion
You can now scan comics at Washington's Library of Congress
Yoc:
Hi Gang,
Thanks to diligent work by our own Fan777 (Carl) we have learned it is possible for the public to request comics from The Library of Congress collection and use the overhead scanner on their premises to scan comics!
Here is what Carl recently told us about it -
After you register and get your library card and go to room LM 133 of the Madison building, you fill out a request list of 20 or less books and wait about 30 minutes for the aides to get them. If you contact them in advance, they will put them on hold. Go to the newspaper and periodicals section of the website and use the search for individual titles. Use the "ask the Librarian part" to put books on hold.
There are plenty of non PD books.
Most of what I scanned was brittle and delicate but its an overhead scanner so you don't put any pressure on them. I had to use my fingers to stretch them out
-Carl
Carl, if I left anything out or you wanted to add more detail, please feel free to add a reply to this topic.
One warning though - it seems the LOC scanner is in need of calibration. There is a fade from green to magenta across the page on all their raw scans. This isn't perfect but it is possible to correct the problem with PhotoShop. So anyone willing to scan at the LOC, please contact us here and we can arrange for someone to edit your raw scan if you can't fix the problem on your own. I'll include an example of what it looks like below.
Thanks again to Carl for learning about this incredible resource now available to scanner out there willing to travel to the LOC. If anyone is considering it please check our 'ALL NEW WANTED LIST - Comics still needed on DCM' topic.
Let us know if you plan a visit.
-Yoc
Yoc:
Here are some questions and answers on scanning at Washington's Library of Congress.
(Questions by CadetEd)
1- What costs are involved with using the scanner?
2- Can you bring a Flash Drive to download our scans?
3- Which LOC URL's did you use to find your books?
4- What is the best mode of transportation to the LOC i.e. is Metro or the VRE close by?
Answers from Carl (fan777)
Hi Ed,
No cost to use the scanner, I used it for 22 hours over three days with only a few interruptions by others
Flash drives fit right into the scanner.
Getting to the part of the website that lists the comic is a little tricky, try http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/faqs/per/comic.html
You need to find the comic in their catalogue - http://catalog2.loc.gov/
The bus line with 30's (32,34 etc) stops right outside the Madison bldg. I think the metro stop is capitol south. I couldn't wait to return my rental car once I got settled.
You can contact Librarian Megan Halstead direct thru "ask the Librarian" section of the website. She will respond within 5 days.
In further communication you must always have the question number in the subject box.
Once you're set up you can do a golden age book in 15-20 minutes. The staff will bring you up to 20 books at a time. A number of the ones I scanned were brittle and falling apart, which were actually easily to get a flat scan than the more supple books.
Good luck,
Carl
bminor:
What a wonderful resource!
B.
Soothsayr:
I went over to the LOC yesterday and did a few page replacements for Carl. The whole process seems easy enough. Next trip, a few more fixes for Carl/Snard then I will be doing whole books after that hopefully after tweaking the scanning process (see below).
--- Quote from: Yoc on July 18, 2013, 05:13:57 PM ---One warning though - it seems the LOC scanner is in need of calibration. There is a fade from green to magenta across the page on all their raw scans. This isn't perfect but it is possible to correct the problem with PhotoShop. So anyone willing to scan at the LOC, please contact us here and we can arrange for someone to edit your raw scan if you can't fix the problem on your own. I'll include an example of what it looks like below.
--- End quote ---
Is it a macro-able process? Or can someone do a writeup on how to do this fix?
I will be trying a few different things next time I go (next week?) to see if it improves anything. What I will try: (1) move the book up to top of the scanner where the color deviation seems less severe, (2) use a white background behind the book.
If it'd be possible to bring two led lights to put on the scanning bed, it would help too, but it'd become cumbersome at that point.
-sooth
Yoc:
Hi Sooth,
Thanks SO much for joining in on this wonderful opportunity that the LOC is giving us.
I did an edit on and LOC book from Carl now on the site - http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=21868
I used PhotoShop CS5 and applied a hue fading from green to magenta in the opposite direction as that on the page and at 25% or less opacity.
Then I pumped up the contrast to bring the colours back.
If you like Sooth, I'd be happy to do any and all edits for you or if you have PhotoShop I could send you an action file (I think, never tried it before.)
Feel free to contact me directly via email or here in a Private Message - when you are ready to do entire books I'd like to suggest a couple if you are willing.
Hope to hear from you,
-Yoc
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