Digital Images for the Information Professional

Book excerpt: In the past decade, the way image based media is created, disseminated, and shared has changed exponentially, as digital imaging technology has replaced traditional film based media. Digital images have become the pervasive photographic medium of choice for the general public. Most libraries, archives, museums, and galleries have undertaken some type of digitisation program: converting their holdings into two dimensional digital images which are available for the general user via the Internet. This raises issues for those aiming to facilitate the creation and preservation of digital images whilst supplying and improving user access to image based material. Digital Images for the Information Professional provides an overview of the place of images in the changing information environment, and the use, function, and appropriation of digital images in both institutional and personal settings. Covering the history, technical underpinnings, sustainability, application, and management of digital images, the text is an accessible guide to both established and developing imaging technologies, providing those within the information sector with essential background knowledge of this increasingly ubiquitous medium.