Microfilm Digitization Solution, Digital ReeL, Selected By Azusa City Library, California

Microfilm digitization solution for Azusa City Library newspaper archive enables easy online access via a simple, elegant interface that emulates a reader printer; includes full text search and photo quality image adjustment capabilities

Sunnyvale, California – July 30, 2015 – BMI Imaging Systems, a leading provider of document management and microfilm digitization solutions, is pleased to announce that Azusa City Library, California has selected and deployed Digital ReeL.

Reed Strege, City Librarian, states, “We looked at multiple options for converting over 100 years of newspaper microfilm archives. Ultimately, Digital ReeL from BMI Imaging provided the best combination of online user-friendly access, price and proven expertise. BMI became a trusted partner in the effort to quickly digitize our unique one-of-a-kind collection.”

Like many city libraries, Azusa wants to preserve and provide access to over 100 years of history to its citizens and the general public. The Azusa Herald and other small area newspapers represent an important archive of the City’s history. Digitally converting the newspaper’s archive from microfilm to an easily accessible online solution was an important project for the long term accessibility of Azusa history.

Azusa Herald requests come from local citizens, other City Departments (e.g. Community Development, Police) and out of state calls (mostly looking for obituaries). Often, it would take days, even over a week, to respond to these information requests from the public. “Trained staff needed to always be available at our Reference Desk,” states Reed Strege. “That was not a viable long-term service level for our library.”

Today, Azusa staff and any citizen can log into the newspaper archive from anywhere in the Country. Users are able to access Azusa Herald articles and photos dating back to the early 1880’s without specialized equipment or training by simply using the Digital ReeL application.

Local citizens and Government officials can visit the library and look for articles and photos. Out-of-state citizens are now directed to Digital ReeL, accessible from the Library’s web-site, where they can log in from their computer to search for articles. Full text search makes it more efficient than before to locate articles across the entire archive.

About the Digital ReeL Newspaper Microfilm Digitization Solution

Since 1958, BMI Imaging Systems has partnered with libraries across California and the United States to preserve historic records and local history. Building upon relationships that have lasted decades, BMI is helping libraries and archives transform their microfilm records and historic documents into a new digital format that provides simple access and image enhancement capabilities never seen before, all in an elegant retrieval platform.

With BMI’s Digital ReeL microfilm digitization solution, you no longer have to handle physical microfilm. Gain immediate access to thousands of searchable articles of local history. Staff and patrons scroll digital microfilm rolls or microfiche sheets from a computer and use full text search to find articles, historical documents and photos. Turn black and white images into real photos with adjustable grayscale.