# Backstage Library Works > You know your collections. We know access. Let's talk. ## Pages - [Peace of Mind for Your Microfilm Collection](https://bslw.com/peaceofmind/): Modern polyester base microfilm will last for centuries when stored properly. Unfortunately, earlier plastics used as film bases are susceptible to deterioration over much shorter periods of time. - [2026 Upcoming Events](https://bslw.com/upcoming-events/): Catch Backstage at an upcoming conference or webinar. You know your collections. We know access services. Let's talk. - [Academic Libraries](https://bslw.com/client-list/our-academic-library-services/): Public and private, research, medical, law libraries, and more. Here are a handful of popular projects that we help perform inside academic libraries. - [Section 508 Accessibility Statement](https://bslw.com/section-508-accessibility-statement/): Backstage accessibility statement for compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for entities that receive federal funding - [Copyright Resources for Digitization](https://bslw.com/copyright-resources/): Many examples of institutional copyright policies and legal analyses of permitted use are available online. Key concepts for interpreting copyright law in libraries include fair use, first sale doctrine, and controlled digital lending. - [Public Libraries](https://bslw.com/client-list/our-public-library-services/): Every library is unique, and public institutions have specific goals to support patron access and research. - [Shelf-Ready Processing for Acquisitions](https://bslw.com/collection-management/shelf-ready-processing/): Make your materials ready for the shelves. Our MARC upgrades and physical processing can fit into any stage of your collection workflow: straight from the publisher or to conquer a backlog. - [Business Archives](https://bslw.com/client-list/our-business-services/): Anniversaries, asset management, and data clean-up, we have the tools to help organize your company's history for internal research and access. - [FAQ - Cataloging with Backstage](https://bslw.com/cataloging-with-backstage-faq/): How big are batches? How do we match your profile? Outsourcing to a vendor comes with a lot of questions, and we're here to answer them. Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [FAQs - RFID Tagging](https://bslw.com/faq-rfid-tagging/): Got questions about your upcoming RFID implementation? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Collection Management](https://bslw.com/collection-management/): ARRANGEMENT & PROCESSING Collection Management Specializing in services which can travel to you, our mobile project management team ensures that... - [Case Studies](https://bslw.com/case-studies/): Are you looking for related presentations and webinars? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [FAQ - Microfilm Terminology](https://bslw.com/faq-microfilmterms/): Are you looking for a layman's guide to microfilm? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [FAQs - Implementing Inclusive Terminology](https://bslw.com/inclusive-terms-faq/): Are you evaluating if and how to implement inclusive terminology? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Presentations and Webinars](https://bslw.com/presentations-and-webinars/): Are you looking for related presentations and webinars? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Community](https://bslw.com/backstage-in-the-community/): Backstage is more than a library services company - we aim to serve our communities, environment, and peers. - [My Profile](https://bslw.com/my-profile/) - [My Account](https://bslw.com/account/) - [Reset Password](https://bslw.com/reset-password/) - [Sign Up](https://bslw.com/sign-up/) - [Log In](https://bslw.com/log-in/) - [Careers](https://bslw.com/careers/): Current Opportunities Entry-Level Paraprofessional Cataloger Shelf-Ready Services Technician Sales Account Manager Remote Freelance Cataloging – Backstage Library Works is always... - [Thank You For Sending In Your Sample](https://bslw.com/thank-you-for-sending-in-your-sample/): Thank youThank you for sending in your sample. We will respond as soon as possible. Back to Home - [Thank You For Contacting Us](https://bslw.com/thank-you-for-contacting-us/): Thank you for contacting us. Thank you for contacting Backstage Library Works. We will respond as soon as possible. Back... - [Client List](https://bslw.com/client-list/): BACKSTAGE LIBRARY WORKS Our Clients For more than 35 years, Backstage Library Works has partnered with libraries large and small,... - [Silverlock Polysulfide Treatment FAQs](https://bslw.com/spt-faq/): Protect Your Microfilm Against Red-Spot Oxidation Silverlock Polysulfide Treatment FAQs This document was originally created by the Image Permanence Institute... - [Metadata](https://bslw.com/metadata/): Creating Paths to Discovery Cataloging Services Metadata means access, information, and power. Contact Us “We have had Backstage work on... - [Microfilm](https://bslw.com/microfilm/): Are you looking for Microfilm Services? Backstage Library Works offers Storage Systems and Duplication Services for Microfilm. Visit Now! - [Digitization](https://bslw.com/digitization/): Are you looking for Digitization Services? BSLW offers Digitization Services for Libraries, Newspapers, and more! Visit now! - [Record Enrichment](https://bslw.com/record-enrichment/): RDA, URI, TOC, etc. Record Enrichment Your records can always get better. Libraries are always changing. You’re adding, creating, defining... - [Contact Us](https://bslw.com/contact-us/): BACKSTAGE LIBRARY WORKS Contact Us Our mission at Backstage Library Works is to provide high-quality, cost-effective professional services that preserve,... - [About Us](https://bslw.com/about/): WHO WE ARE About Us Your mission, your materials. We provide guaranteed, personal solutions to assist libraries and archives with... - [Blog](https://bslw.com/blog/): Backstage Library Works News Check here for our latest articles and press releasesContact Us - [Automation](https://bslw.com/automation/): Are you looking for automation services for your library and collection. BSLW has been the leader in the automation space since 1986. Call us to day! - [Authority Control](https://bslw.com/authority-control/): IDENTITIES MANAGEMENT Authority Control Authority control compares subject and name headings in your records against databases maintained by the Library... - [Privacy Policy](https://bslw.com/privacy-policy/): What information do we collect? We collect information from you when you register on our site, subscribe to our newsletter,... - [Home](https://bslw.com/): BSLW has been the industry leader for since 1986. We help libraries of all kinds manage their collections through digitization, automation, archiving, microfilm and more. ## Posts - [Tooling Up to Transcribe Handwritten Text with The Cooper Union](https://bslw.com/transcribe-handwritten-text-the-cooper-union/): Manual transcription is a costly and time-consuming process, so Backstage proposed an alternative to The Cooper Union: would the library consider partnering on a pilot to evaluate the effectiveness of handwritten transcription performed by AI? - [Managing Authority Control in a Changing Discovery Landscape](https://bslw.com/managing-authority-control-survey-2026/): Every few years, Backstage Library Works conducts a survey to ask, how are institutions conducting authority control? The landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade. Let's take a look. - [A File Format Framework for Your Digitized Collections](https://bslw.com/file-format-framework-digital-collections/): TIFFs are high-resolution images preferred for preservation. JPEGs and JPEG-2000s champion the patron's access copy, and PDFs serve a place in between. Here's a quick guide to the image file formats that Backstage provides with every digitization project. - [It’s All Under Control: Managing Name & Subject Headings in Your Catalog](https://bslw.com/its-all-under-control-managing-name-subject-headings-in-your-catalog/): Enjoy our webinar presentation on digitizing slides, negatives, and photo prints. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - [A Cataloging Framework: The Backstage Record Element Set](https://bslw.com/cataloging-framework-backstage-record-element-set/): Backstage’s record element set was designed to provide a foundation for developing a project’s MARC specifications. - [Championing the Wellness of Physical Collections](https://bslw.com/championing-wellness-physical-collections/): How do large-scale collection management projects impact the library, and why are they important to consider? - [Keeping Collections Close: Past Projects Performed On-Site](https://bslw.com/keeping-collections-close-past-on-site-projects/): When projects need to stick close to home, our team can come to you for digitization, cataloging, inventory review and consultation. - [Stacks-ready Services Sending Splendid Stuff Seriously Shelved—Straight to You!](https://bslw.com/stack-ready-april-fools/): Shelf-ready? No, we're taking it a step beyond! We're going STACK ready! - [Microfilm Indexing with the Library of Virginia](https://bslw.com/microfilm-indexing-library-of-virginia/): The Library of Virginia and Backstage Library Works have been working together in recent years to tackle a reference collection stored on microfilm. Not only does the collection need to be duplicated, but the index is being updated at the same time, migrated from old, occasionally incomplete records into the Commonwealth’s ShelfLife database. - [A Simple Guide to Digital Metadata](https://bslw.com/simple-guide-to-digital-metadata/): A topic that oftentimes feels difficult to wrap our heads around, let's sit down and run through some of the overarching basics of what digital metadata is, how much of it we should collect, and how we can plan for including it in your digitization project. - [Ingram Library Services and Backstage Library Works Team up to Deliver Comprehensive Shelf-Ready Processing for Libraries](https://bslw.com/ingram-backstage-shelf-ready-services/): This collaboration brings together Ingram’s industry leading supply chain, expansive title availability, and deep library expertise with Backstage’s renowned cataloging and metadata services—creating a seamless, end-to-end workflow with greater customization that gets materials to libraries faster. - [Access & Preservation with the American Craft Magazine](https://bslw.com/access-preservation-with-american-craft-magazine/): The American Craft magazine has concluded its run - but its 84 years of arts scholarship will remain online through digital archives. - [Digitizing Your Photographic Collections](https://bslw.com/digitizing-your-photographic-collections/): Enjoy our webinar presentation on digitizing slides, negatives, and photo prints. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - [Do You Know These 21 Controlled Vocabularies?](https://bslw.com/our-controlled-vocabularies/): Backstage’s authority control service currently has options to control headings from 20 authority files. How many of these can be found in your library’s catalog? How many do you actively maintain? And how many have you never even considered? - [The Annual Library Pub Crawl: Gathering and Preserving Locally Published Serials](https://bslw.com/pub-crawl-preserving-locally-published-serials/): Digitization and microfilming in-print publications becomes a lot simpler when you can tackle each new year's issues in a short project. - [ILS Migration Migraine: Tips for Prevention and Recovery](https://bslw.com/ils-migration-migraine-tips-for-prevention-and-recovery/): Enjoy our webinar presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - [A Transparent Overview of Film & Negative Digitization](https://bslw.com/overview-of-film-and-negative-digitization/): Digitizing photographic negatives, glass plates, and other forms of transmissive materials can be complicated, but we have the answers. - [General Van Fleet Papers Digitized, On To Next Steps](https://bslw.com/general-van-fleet-papers-digitization/): Gen. James Alward Van Fleet's personal collection of papers, donated to the George C. Marshall Foundation in 1984, has been digitized in preparation of making the collection available to researchers in the years to come. - [Service Contracting for the Savvy Administrator](https://bslw.com/service-contracting-for-administrators/): When you work with a vendor to complete technical services in your library or archive, customization doesn't stop at the workflow and deliverables. Funding and timelines are intrinsically connected and these are customizable, too. - [Cataloging Surrogate Capture Demonstration](https://bslw.com/cataloging-surrogate-demo/): Enjoy a brief demo presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - [From Publisher to Shelf: Cataloging for Acquisitions](https://bslw.com/from-publisher-to-shelf-cataloging-acquisitions/): What if your recent purchases arrived cataloged and neatly labeled, ready to hit the shelves? Backstage refers to this scenario as ‘shelf ready processing’, and it’s a phrase we use in a number of situations. Most typically, our shelf ready processing workflow is utilized in conjunction with ongoing publisher orders. - [Cataloging at a Distance: Capturing Surrogate Images for Remote Catalogers](https://bslw.com/cataloging-at-a-distance-capturing-surrogate-images/): Enjoy our webinar presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - [Approaches to Digitizing Scrapbooks](https://bslw.com/approaches-to-digitizing-scrapbooks/): Wonderfully diverse and occasionally complicated, scrapbooks are considered messy treasures of archival collections. The very thing that makes these resources incredible to study is what also causes them to be complicated when making them discoverable: that is, that anyone could make them with anything that they had on hand. - [MAPS Revisited: The Scenes That Have Guided Preservation Since The 80’s](https://bslw.com/maps-revisited-preservation-since-the-80s/): Founded in 1985, the Micrographic Preservation Service began what has persisted to this day, a dedication to microfilm and digitization to meet the needs of patrons and researchers. - [Outsourcing Your Library's Shushes](https://bslw.com/outsourced-library-shushes-april-fools/): Is there a place for SHH in the library anymore? Backstage has explored a new service to see if silence is truly golden. - [Not-So-Ghastly Truths Behind Disbinding Books](https://bslw.com/guide-to-disbinding-books/): Original materials that need to be altered before digitizing or microfilming may have covers cut off, binding strings sliced, or the spine removed by a guillotine. But that shouldn't make it a librarian's horror story! - [We're Traveling to a City Near You: Conferences and Visits for 2025](https://bslw.com/traveling-to-a-city-near-you-in-2025/): Every year, our team visits cities all over the United States – and sometimes outside the country! – for conferences and visits to evaluate collections for upcoming projects. This year is no different and the travel season is upon us. - [History of MAPS - Micrographic Preservation Service (1992)](https://bslw.com/history-of-maps-micrographic-preservation-service-1992/): MAPS was founded in 1985 by five research libraries: Columbia University, Cornell University, New York Public Library, New York State Library, and Princeton University. Their goal? “To adhere to the highest standards of preservation microfilming, and to create a high quality, low cost microfilming service for nonprofit organizations.” - [2025 Rolling In With Grant Opportunities for Libraries and Archives](https://bslw.com/2025-grant-opportunities-winter/): Another year makes its entrance with support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities, and more... - [The Optimal Optical Character Recognition: OCR and Digitization](https://bslw.com/ocr-and-digitization/): OCR is the conversion of text in images to something machine-readable; when combined with a DAM that can read it, a patron's level of access increases dramatically. - [Crack the Cartridge with Backstage](https://bslw.com/crack-the-cartridge-with-backstage/): When we think of accessing microfilm, a reel comes to mind, or perhaps microfiche. But have you ever seen microfilm come inside of a cassette? - [Backstage Opens Third Office for Expanded Cataloging, Archiving, & Digitization Operations](https://bslw.com/backstage-opens-third-office-location/): "We are excited to announce the completion of our new 6,000 square foot office space, dedicated to expanding our cataloging and digitization services,” says Nate Cothran, company president. - [Three Authority Control Procedures for a Perfect Fit](https://bslw.com/three-authority-control-procedures/): Basefile processing is the first, major step into organizing a catalog so that its authority file integrates seamlessly. From there, ongoing processing is what keeps a catalog up-to-date and consistent. - [Preparing for Cataloging, Do You Copy?](https://bslw.com/preparing-for-cataloging-copy-rate/): Evaluating the rate at which materials to be cataloged will require copy-level cataloging versus original-level cataloging will help you plan your upcoming budget and timeline. - [New Master Service Agreement Through Utah Promises Easy Digitization](https://bslw.com/2024-utah-state-msa-award-for-digitization/): Backstage Library Works has been awarded an MSA through the State Cooperative Contracts program in Utah, eligible until February of... - [Structured Data Extraction Using Artificial Intelligence | Doxie.AI](https://bslw.com/structured-data-extraction-using-artificial-intelligence/): Vijay Singh, President of Doxie.AI, delves into the use of artificial intelligence to identify, extract, and give structure to visual data in digital image collections, building database content that increases discovery for users. - [Promoting Discoverability & Use of Historical Collections: NHPRC Grants Ahead of 2025](https://bslw.com/nhprc-grants-offered-in-2024/): The National Historical Publications & Records Commission has posted four grants to support discoverability and use of collections ahead of 2025. - [The Catalog Polyglot: Metadata and World Languages](https://bslw.com/the-catalog-polyglot-metadata-and-world-languages/): How do libraries handle a catalog that supports a rich variety of languages? Learn how to see the record from a cataloger's perspective and the tools we use to help support multilingual collections. - [Introducing Project Cat²aloger](https://bslw.com/project-cataloger-squared-april-fools/): A brand new team is making its way to Backstage following the development of an incredible new cataloging certification. - [Smells Like Fiche and Chips: A Guide to Keeping Your Microfilm Disease-Free](https://bslw.com/keeping-your-microfilm-disease-free/): All archival materials should be handled carefully in order to maintain the health of collections. When it comes to microfilm, there are a number of diseases you can avoid with proper care. - [Trust Your Technical Librarian, Authority Control is a Must!](https://bslw.com/value-of-authority-control/): What is authority control, and why should you care? Processing regular updates allows your catalog to maintain searchability and standardization, and the repercussions of skipping it can be more long-lasting than you'd think. - [Maritime Reels Return to Home Port: Preserving the Hazel Niendorff Collection](https://bslw.com/preserving-hazel-niendorff-collection/): "It's like witnessing the evolution of preservation life." From scrapbooks to microfilm reels to digitization at last, Backstage has born special witness to the safekeeping of this collection by the Museum of History & Industry. - [One Million Dollars in Grant Funding Available Through the National Historical Publications & Records Commission](https://bslw.com/nhprc-grant-funding-in-2024/): The National Historical Publications & Records Commission has provided one million dollars in funding for new grants. - [Shipping Library Materials Made Easy: A Step-By-Step Guide](https://bslw.com/shipping-library-materials-guide/): Ensure the safety of your materials the next time you ship books out to your outsourcing vendor. Read a step-by-step guide on what to consider, how to pack your boxes, and download our free inventory tracker. - [Doxie AI Bringing Distinctive Machine Learning Solutions to Library Collections](https://bslw.com/doxie-ai-bringing-machine-learning-to-libraries/): Media often simplifies AI as any computer-generated finished product. Doxie AI stands out by using AI for structured data extraction, saving time in tasks like metadata entry and form processing. Doxie excels with promising data privacy at over 90% accuracy and an innovative approach to automation. - [Pennsylvania Office Wraps Up Successful 15-Month Showcase of Employee Art](https://bslw.com/pennsylvania-showcase-employee-art/): What began as a team-building exercise evolved into a fifteen month internal exhibition of employee creativity and talent. - [Preservica and Backstage Announce Partnership To Support Government Agencies](https://bslw.com/preservica-backstage-announce-partnership/): "We believe that digitization is not only a trend but a necessity for libraries in the 21st century, and we are committed to helping them achieve their goals together.” - [Our Cameras Go West! Digitization Returns to Provo, UT](https://bslw.com/digitization-returns-to-provo/): "As the team changes and grows, we hope to increase the number of projects we can bring to the Provo office this year.” - [Backstage Looking Ahead... Newer and Stronger Services in 2023](https://bslw.com/backstage-looking-ahead-2023/): Time keeps moving forward and so are we. We've set some goals for the new year that you may be interested in. Follow us for the latest updates. - [Preparing for 2023 With New Grant Opportunities](https://bslw.com/grant-opportunities-2023/): Consider these funding opportunities as you look ahead to your January planning. Need help with grant writing? We can help. - [DEI Subject Heading Enhancements at Deschutes Public Library](https://bslw.com/dei-subject-heading-enhancements-at-deschutes-public-library/): In this webinar, Casey Cheney, Vice President, Automation Services at Backstage Library Works and Emily O’Neal, Technical Service Manager at Deschutes Public Library explain how they applied the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to change problematic terminology within the library catalog. Hear a firsthand account of how a library can start building a more inclusive catalog that serves all users. - [A Passing FADGI - Keeping Up With the Star-Studded Guidelines](https://bslw.com/passing-fadgi-at-backstage/): FADGI is the imaging standard for cultural heritage capture and an important part of upcoming N-19-21 requirements. How does Backstage stay compliant? - [Sit Down With Gerald Varner in Microfilm](https://bslw.com/interview-gerald-varner/): Jerry Varner is a microfilm technician in our Microfilm department in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In between sessions at camera and coffee breaks, we communicated over e-mail to talk about his thoughts on Microfilming and experiences at Backstage and, formerly, OCLC. - [Special Collections Inventory, University of California, San Francisco](https://bslw.com/case-study-special-collections-inventory-mix/): A special collections archives vault within a medical university containing 15k-20k monographs in a variety of languages needed our help to perform a multi-stage inventory review. How did we go about doing it? - [Making Service Partners Worth Your While](https://bslw.com/service-partner-relationship-and-you/): "What is the value of working with a vendor?" To answer, it’s important to recognize everything in-house staff members and managers are responsible for. - [Sit Down With Lisa Hardy in Collection Management Services](https://bslw.com/interview-lisa-hardy/): Lisa Hardy is a cataloger, trainer, and team lead in our cataloging department in Provo, Utah, and I was able to grab a few moments of her time to talk to her about her experiences at Backstage. - [Backstage Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow](https://bslw.com/history-of-backstage-library-works/): Who are we, and how did we get here? Learn more about the founding of our company and its growth over the years. - [LC-Coop Processing, Research University Library](https://bslw.com/case-study-lc-coop-2022/): The project began as backlog processing in 2019 and has since migrated to drop-shipped completion of recent CAP acquisitions with over 10,000 monographs processed since the project's inception. - [Backstage Awarded GSA MAS Contract For High Quality Digitization & Collection Management Services](https://bslw.com/gsa-mas-contract-award/): Backstage is very pleased to announce the award of their General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract which will provide support for Digitization and Collection Management services. - [Camera Ready, Set, GO!](https://bslw.com/camera-ready-set-go/): “Camera ready” is a term used to describe when, as the name suggests, materials are ready to be digitally captured or microfilmed. How do you prepare a jumble of papers, or a collection of books, or a pile of newspapers to be safely captured? - [Sit Down With Jeannise Rodriguez in Digitization](https://bslw.com/interview-jeannise-rodriguez/): Jeannise is regarded as one of our leading camera and material experts, having worked with the company since 2005. - [Inclusive Terminology Changes, Deschutes Public Library](https://bslw.com/automation-decolonization-service/): Deschutes Public Library has been working over the years to improve discoverability in their catalog with various term mappings and, most recently, decided to incorporate changes to Indigenous peoples terms from Backstage's peer-reviewed local authority file. - [Sit Down With Karen Anderson in Automation](https://bslw.com/interview-karen-anderson/): Karen works with our cataloging and automation departments primarily on authority record editing and creation. - [The Impact of Inclusivity in the Library Catalog](https://bslw.com/impact-of-inclusivity-in-library-catalog/): Language matters and it can be used to uplift and inspire or dehumanize and divide. - [Reparative Metadata, Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS)](https://bslw.com/automation-homosaurus-service/): CLAMS joined Backstage as a testing partner, along with a group of other libraries, to fine-tune the LCSH to Homosaurus conversion procedure. - [Collection Inventory, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary Library](https://bslw.com/inventorying-a-seminary-collection/): Nearly 183,000 items were processed in an Inventory Plus project that took approximately 21 weeks to complete, and which was conducted in three parts at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary Library. - [More Product, Less Process, and New Normal](https://bslw.com/more-product-less-process-and-new-normal/): Greene & Meissner’s paper in 2005 titled More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing has continued to spark debate and consideration across multiple disciplines within the library community. - [Day-To-Day Responsibilities of an On-Site Project Manager](https://bslw.com/responsibilities-on-site-project-manager/): When our team stays on-site with you, what exactly are they doing? What are their responsibilities and expectations, and what can you expect? We sat down with our Collection Management team to hear more about their duties in the day-to-day administration of an on-site project. - [2022 Reading Challenges to Keep You Inspired](https://bslw.com/interest-papers-22-reading-challenge/): Don't worry if you've fallen off of your New Years resolution. Your local library and these reading challenges we've found can help. - [The ALA Youth Media Awards](https://bslw.com/youth-media-awards/): The ALA Youth Media Awards (YMAs) have been a mainstay of the ALA Midwinter Meeting for decades. Committees have gathered to discuss and vote, and awards have traditionally been announced on the conference’s Monday morning. - [Authority Control in the Academic Library](https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-academic-library-2/): Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect an academic library’s authority control needs. - [Backstage Tour: Digitization Studio](https://bslw.com/backstage-tour-digitization-studio/): Take a behind-the-scenes tour of our digitization studio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. - [Authority Control: Consistency Among the Changes](https://bslw.com/authority-control-consistency-among-the-changes/): How do you handle authority records when outdated Library of Congress headings don’t reflect your library’s policies for inclusion? In this webinar, Casey Cheney, VP of Automation services at Backstage, explores external and internal changes that can affect headings in a library catalog. She discusses how leveraging automation can help a library’s metadata team manage updates and propagate decisions made at a local level. - [Authority Control in Archives and Special Collections](https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-academic-library/): Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect the authority control needs of special collections, whether within a larger institution or as a standalone library or archive. - [Authority Control in the Public Library](https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-public-library/): Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect a public library’s authority control needs. - [Project Management in Practice in Libraries](https://bslw.com/project-management-in-practice-in-libraries/): In this webinar, Jacob Bastian, vice president of collection management services at Backstage, explores key concepts of project management and applies the discipline to a library setting. He also gives real-world examples, drawing on years of experience leading collection management projects in libraries. - [Tabletop Roleplay in the Library Setting](https://bslw.com/interest-papers-22-tabletop-gaming/): You know what D&D is by now, but do you know how to start a program at your library? Read up on tips from our adventuring staff. - [Jolabokaflod, A Holiday Celebration for the Book Lovers](https://bslw.com/jolabokaflod-celebration/): Happy Holidays to all of our partner libraries, network, and archives! - [Spotlight: Digitizing with the South Carolina State Library](https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-digitizing-south-carolina-state-library/): Read how Backstage approached its digitization project with South Carolina State Library to bring access to over 66,000 pages, and more. - [How To Make Cataloging Surrogates, Why They Can Help](https://bslw.com/cataloging-surrogates-workflows/): Photographing digital “facsimiles” of materials – or as we colloquially say at Backstage, “surrogates” – can be a useful workflow for a variety of situations faced in the technical library setting. The process varies, but the goal is to have a technician create brief scans of books, maps, and other materials in order to enable a cataloger to create or enhance a bibliographic record without the item in hand. - [4 Ways to Lighten Your Collections Management Workload](https://bslw.com/lighten-your-collections-management-workload/): Collection management projects like RFID tagging, reclassification, inventory, and moving may involve handling nearly every item in a library’s collection.... - [An Introduction to METS/ALTO For Your Digitized Collections](https://bslw.com/mets-alto-introduction/): METS and ALTO – popularly, METS/ALTO – are terms that are thrown around when you start talking about digitizing and hosting your collections. Not all digital asset management programs, or DAMs, require METS or ALTO files, but a handful do (Veridian being a notable example), and if you’re considering article level segmentation, or ALS, then you will need to provide METS/ALTO files alongside your digitized collection. - [A Simple Guide to Weeding your Library](https://bslw.com/simple-guide-to-weeding/): Looking for help with your next deaccessioning project? Visit BSLW.com today and learn more about how you can leverage our expertise. - [Backstage Signs with Califa Group to Become Preferred Vendor](https://bslw.com/califa-group-preferred-vendor/): Are you a Califa member? Visit BSLW.com today and learn more about discounts available to your library! - [Product Spotlight: LC-CAP/COOP Made Simple, Tailored to Your Library’s Needs](https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-lccoop-made-simple/): Are you looking for an easier approach to LC acquisitions? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Preservation and Access, the Married Conversation](https://bslw.com/preservation-access-married-conversation/): Are you looking for preservation or digitization services? How about both? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [$15 Million in American Rescue Plan Act Grants Now Available for Museum and Library Services](https://bslw.com/institute-museum-library-services-rescue-grants/): Do you need help writing your grant proposals? Visit BSLW.com today for assistance, the industry leader since 1986! - [Webinar Debrief: Consistency Among the Changes](https://bslw.com/webinar-debrief-consistency-among-changes/): Decolonizing your authority file doesn't have to feel like an insurmountable task. Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Newspaper Microfilming With the Experts](https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-microfilming-newspapers/): Are you considering microfilm solutions for your newspaper collections? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Things to Consider When Planning Your RFID Tagging Project](https://bslw.com/planning-your-rfid-tagging-project/): Are you considering RFID tagging your collection? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - [Easier LC Coop Acquisitions with Backstage Processing](https://bslw.com/easier-lc-coop-acquisitions-with-backstage-processing/): Participants in the Cooperative Acquisitions Program (CAP, or ‘LC Coop’) regularly receive print publications from around the world, expanding existing... - [Top Questions When Considering Reclassification](https://bslw.com/reclassification-questions/): Converting your library from one classification system to another can be an arduous task. Backstage helps make the challenge easier... - [Choosing What Digital Image Format Works Best for You](https://bslw.com/choosing-a-digital-image-format/): When you’re looking to start your first digitization project, file type options can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re not familiar... - [Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provides $4,415,000 to support CLIR's Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices](https://bslw.com/clir-digitizing-hidden-special-collections-2021-2022/): CLIR has announced the latest phase of its Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program, called Amplifying Unheard Voices, supported... - [$15M Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant from the Library of Congress Announced for Minority Communities](https://bslw.com/of-the-people-mellon-foundation-grant/): The Library of Congress has announced a new, multiyear initiative, called Of The People, in support of Black, Hispanic, Indigenous... - [Microfilm Storage with Backstage Library Works](https://bslw.com/microfilm-storage-with-backstage-library-works/): You’ve created archival microfilm from your original source materials. Your microfilm collection is a valuable asset to your researchers. Once... - [Four Updates to Enhance Your Authority Control](https://bslw.com/four-updates-to-enhance-your-authority-control/): Backstage is always working to improve our services for our clients, and we’ve recently made four additions to expand your... - [From Paper to Film: Microfilming and USNP at UIUC](https://bslw.com/from-paper-to-film-microfilming-and-usnp-at-uiuc/): Today’s digital newspaper collections owe much of their content to microfilm produced for the U.S. Newspaper Program (USNP) from 1982 to 2011. But what role does microfilm play in the preservation efforts of a modern library? In this webinar, guest presenter William Schlaack, digital reformatting coordinator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares how microfilm fits into the University Library’s preservation program. - [Documenting Contemporary Regional History: The Utah COVID-19 Digital Collection](https://bslw.com/documenting-contemporary-regional-history-the-utah-covid-19-digital-collection/): In this webinar, guest presenters Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour, and Rachel Wittmann relate their approach to creating — and continuing to develop — the Utah COVID-19 digital collection at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. They discuss born-digital content, metadata, permissions, and use scenarios. - [Questions To Ask When Selecting a Vendor Partner](https://bslw.com/questions-to-ask-when-selecting-a-vendor-partner/): In the current climate, working to complete everything from daily tasks to special projects is more difficult than ever before.... - [Quality Management in Digitalization: Examining Workflows with ISO 9001](https://bslw.com/quality-management-in-digitalization-examining-workflows-with-iso-9001/): In this webinar, Dan Zellner, digitization manager at Northwestern University, leads a discussion of ISO 9001:2015, an international standard for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9001 is used across a range of industries and public sector institutions. The Northwestern University Library has found it to be a useful framework for analyzing digitization workflows and refining processes through data-driven adjustments. # # Detailed Content ## Pages > Modern polyester base microfilm will last for centuries when stored properly. Unfortunately, earlier plastics used as film bases are susceptible to deterioration over much shorter periods of time. - Published: 2026-06-24 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/peaceofmind/ We work with libraries coming from a variety of systems and vendors, including some whose ILS can perform authority control updates on their own. If you're looking to transition or augment your processing, we've got you covered. > Catch Backstage at an upcoming conference or webinar. You know your collections. We know access services. Let's talk. - Published: 2026-01-29 - Modified: 2026-08-28 - URL: https://bslw.com/upcoming-events/ > Public and private, research, medical, law libraries, and more. Here are a handful of popular projects that we help perform inside academic libraries. - Published: 2026-01-13 - Modified: 2026-01-27 - URL: https://bslw.com/client-list/our-academic-library-services/ > Backstage accessibility statement for compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for entities that receive federal funding - Published: 2025-12-31 - Modified: 2026-01-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/section-508-accessibility-statement/ Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was updated to include new accessibility provisions for information and communication technology (ICT) and electronic content. > Many examples of institutional copyright policies and legal analyses of permitted use are available online. Key concepts for interpreting copyright law in libraries include fair use, first sale doctrine, and controlled digital lending. - Published: 2025-12-31 - Modified: 2026-01-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/copyright-resources/ As you explore perspectives on copyright law, we find it useful to highlight a few points that affect many of our clients. Please consult your institution’s copyright policies or legal counsel for applicable guidelines. > Every library is unique, and public institutions have specific goals to support patron access and research. - Published: 2025-10-21 - Modified: 2025-11-18 - URL: https://bslw.com/client-list/our-public-library-services/ > Make your materials ready for the shelves. Our MARC upgrades and physical processing can fit into any stage of your collection workflow: straight from the publisher or to conquer a backlog. - Published: 2025-10-10 - Modified: 2026-01-16 - URL: https://bslw.com/collection-management/shelf-ready-processing/ We work with libraries coming from a variety of systems and vendors, including some whose ILS can perform authority control updates on their own. If you're looking to transition or augment your processing, we've got you covered. > Anniversaries, asset management, and data clean-up, we have the tools to help organize your company's history for internal research and access. - Published: 2025-08-18 - Modified: 2025-11-18 - URL: https://bslw.com/client-list/our-business-services/ > How big are batches? How do we match your profile? Outsourcing to a vendor comes with a lot of questions, and we're here to answer them. Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2024-04-23 - Modified: 2024-11-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/cataloging-with-backstage-faq/ > Got questions about your upcoming RFID implementation? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2024-01-23 - Modified: 2024-02-05 - URL: https://bslw.com/faq-rfid-tagging/ - Published: 2023-09-26 - Modified: 2025-10-17 - URL: https://bslw.com/collection-management/ > Are you looking for related presentations and webinars? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2022-04-27 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/case-studies/ > Are you looking for a layman's guide to microfilm? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2022-04-01 - Modified: 2025-10-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/faq-microfilmterms/ > Are you evaluating if and how to implement inclusive terminology? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2022-03-15 - Modified: 2024-09-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/inclusive-terms-faq/ > Are you looking for related presentations and webinars? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2022-01-11 - Modified: 2025-09-26 - URL: https://bslw.com/presentations-and-webinars/ > Backstage is more than a library services company - we aim to serve our communities, environment, and peers. - Published: 2021-11-22 - Modified: 2023-08-10 - URL: https://bslw.com/backstage-in-the-community/ - Published: 2021-01-11 - Modified: 2026-09-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/careers/ - Published: 2020-10-07 - Modified: 2026-03-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/thank-you-for-sending-in-your-sample/ - Published: 2020-09-25 - Modified: 2026-03-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/thank-you-for-contacting-us/ - Published: 2020-08-25 - Modified: 2026-09-01 - URL: https://bslw.com/client-list/ - Published: 2020-08-21 - Modified: 2023-08-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/spt-faq/ - Published: 2020-08-03 - Modified: 2025-10-17 - URL: https://bslw.com/metadata/ > Are you looking for Microfilm Services? Backstage Library Works offers Storage Systems and Duplication Services for Microfilm. Visit Now! - Published: 2020-07-31 - Modified: 2025-10-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/microfilm/ > Are you looking for Digitization Services? BSLW offers Digitization Services for Libraries, Newspapers, and more! Visit now! - Published: 2020-07-31 - Modified: 2024-04-25 - URL: https://bslw.com/digitization/ - Published: 2020-07-31 - Modified: 2023-08-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/record-enrichment/ - Published: 2020-07-23 - Modified: 2025-08-06 - URL: https://bslw.com/contact-us/ - Published: 2020-07-23 - Modified: 2026-03-04 - URL: https://bslw.com/about/ - Published: 2020-07-17 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/blog/ > Are you looking for automation services for your library and collection. BSLW has been the leader in the automation space since 1986. Call us to day! - Published: 2020-07-03 - Modified: 2024-09-05 - URL: https://bslw.com/automation/ - Published: 2020-06-16 - Modified: 2024-01-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/authority-control/ - Published: 2020-05-06 - Modified: 2024-09-16 - URL: https://bslw.com/privacy-policy/ > BSLW has been the industry leader for since 1986. We help libraries of all kinds manage their collections through digitization, automation, archiving, microfilm and more. - Published: 2020-05-06 - Modified: 2026-03-06 - URL: https://bslw.com/ ## Posts > Manual transcription is a costly and time-consuming process, so Backstage proposed an alternative to The Cooper Union: would the library consider partnering on a pilot to evaluate the effectiveness of handwritten transcription performed by AI? - Published: 2026-09-29 - Modified: 2026-09-22 - URL: https://bslw.com/transcribe-handwritten-text-the-cooper-union/ - Categories: Case Studies, Digitization - Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, language learning model, machine learning, transcription > Every few years, Backstage Library Works conducts a survey to ask, how are institutions conducting authority control? The landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade. Let's take a look. - Published: 2026-08-19 - Modified: 2026-08-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/managing-authority-control-survey-2026/ - Categories: Authority Control > TIFFs are high-resolution images preferred for preservation. JPEGs and JPEG-2000s champion the patron's access copy, and PDFs serve a place in between. Here's a quick guide to the image file formats that Backstage provides with every digitization project. - Published: 2026-07-29 - Modified: 2026-07-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/file-format-framework-digital-collections/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: digital, digital asset manager, digitization, FADGI, images, jpegs, metadata, pdfs, tiffs, XML > Enjoy our webinar presentation on digitizing slides, negatives, and photo prints. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - Published: 2026-07-01 - Modified: 2026-07-13 - URL: https://bslw.com/its-all-under-control-managing-name-subject-headings-in-your-catalog/ - Categories: Presentations, Digitization — Video - Tags: digitization, negatives, photographs, photos, transparencies How does authority control work in today's library discovery environments? When name and subject authorities are centralized, what room does that leave for your library's mission-driven metadata efforts? At Backstage, we believe that authority control is at its best when a mix of diverse thesauri are used in conjunction with local choices for significant and sensitive terms in your library’s own authority file. In this webinar, Casey Cheney, vice president of automation services at Backstage, explores the why and how of authority control, and guides you through options for maintaining control while optimizing search in your catalog. > Backstage’s record element set was designed to provide a foundation for developing a project’s MARC specifications. - Published: 2026-06-09 - Modified: 2026-06-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/cataloging-framework-backstage-record-element-set/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: bibco, Cataloging, MARC, metadata, pcc, record, standard MARC > How do large-scale collection management projects impact the library, and why are they important to consider? - Published: 2026-05-26 - Modified: 2026-05-25 - URL: https://bslw.com/championing-wellness-physical-collections/ - Categories: Collection Management, On-Site Services - Tags: deaccessioning, inventory, reclassification, RFID, shelf space, weeding > When projects need to stick close to home, our team can come to you for digitization, cataloging, inventory review and consultation. - Published: 2026-04-30 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://bslw.com/keeping-collections-close-past-on-site-projects/ - Categories: On-Site Services - Tags: Cataloging, digitization, Microfilm, on-site > Shelf-ready? No, we're taking it a step beyond! We're going STACK ready! - Published: 2026-04-01 - Modified: 2026-03-26 - URL: https://bslw.com/stack-ready-april-fools/ - Categories: Entertainment > The Library of Virginia and Backstage Library Works have been working together in recent years to tackle a reference collection stored on microfilm. Not only does the collection need to be duplicated, but the index is being updated at the same time, migrated from old, occasionally incomplete records into the Commonwealth’s ShelfLife database. - Published: 2026-03-17 - Modified: 2026-02-28 - URL: https://bslw.com/microfilm-indexing-library-of-virginia/ - Categories: Case Studies, Microfilm - Tags: diseased microfilm, duplication, library of virginia, Microfilm, redox > A topic that oftentimes feels difficult to wrap our heads around, let's sit down and run through some of the overarching basics of what digital metadata is, how much of it we should collect, and how we can plan for including it in your digitization project. - Published: 2026-02-26 - Modified: 2026-02-26 - URL: https://bslw.com/simple-guide-to-digital-metadata/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: FADGI, metadata > This collaboration brings together Ingram’s industry leading supply chain, expansive title availability, and deep library expertise with Backstage’s renowned cataloging and metadata services—creating a seamless, end-to-end workflow with greater customization that gets materials to libraries faster. - Published: 2026-01-16 - Modified: 2026-01-15 - URL: https://bslw.com/ingram-backstage-shelf-ready-services/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: baker & taylor, content, ingram, libraries, public libraries > The American Craft magazine has concluded its run - but its 84 years of arts scholarship will remain online through digital archives. - Published: 2025-12-02 - Modified: 2025-11-24 - URL: https://bslw.com/access-preservation-with-american-craft-magazine/ - Categories: Case Studies - Tags: archives, digitized > Enjoy our webinar presentation on digitizing slides, negatives, and photo prints. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - Published: 2025-11-19 - Modified: 2026-07-13 - URL: https://bslw.com/digitizing-your-photographic-collections/ - Categories: Presentations, Digitization — Video - Tags: digitization, negatives, photographs, photos, transparencies Photographic formats can range from prints to individual slides and negatives to short strips or longer reels. Historically, the glass and metal plates of the 19th century gave way to plastic films in the 20th century. Formats became more standardized, and the stability and longevity of films and prints improved. A film collection spanning even a few years may include several formats that each pose different challenges. So where do you start? In this webinar, Kelly Barrall, vice president of digitization services at Backstage Library Works, guides you through a range of film formats and offers suggestions on what to consider to get the best results when digitizing your materials. > Backstage’s authority control service currently has options to control headings from 20 authority files. How many of these can be found in your library’s catalog? How many do you actively maintain? And how many have you never even considered? - Published: 2025-11-17 - Modified: 2026-01-26 - URL: https://bslw.com/our-controlled-vocabularies/ - Categories: Authority Control - Tags: controlled vocabulary, metadata > Digitization and microfilming in-print publications becomes a lot simpler when you can tackle each new year's issues in a short project. - Published: 2025-10-21 - Modified: 2026-02-06 - URL: https://bslw.com/pub-crawl-preserving-locally-published-serials/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: annuals, locally published, newspapers, serials > Enjoy our webinar presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - Published: 2025-09-27 - Modified: 2025-10-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/ils-migration-migraine-tips-for-prevention-and-recovery/ - Categories: Presentations, Collection Management — Video - Tags: Cataloging, metadata, metadata strategies, Non-Roman, remote cataloger, world languages Moving to a new ILS is an enormous undertaking that involves stakeholders from across the org chart. The library catalog is one core aspect of an ILS change. What steps can you take to prevent the predictable headaches of your bibliographic data transition? What can you do to optimize your metadata before a move? What problems may pop up during the process? And what remediation might be necessary after you transfer your MARC records? In this webinar, Casey Cheney, vice president of automation services at Backstage Library Works, maps out common issues and opportunities that librarians encounter with their catalog metadata during an ILS migration. In this webinar, Casey Cheney, vice president of automation services at Backstage Library Works, maps out common issues and opportunities that librarians encounter with their catalog metadata during an ILS migration. > Digitizing photographic negatives, glass plates, and other forms of transmissive materials can be complicated, but we have the answers. - Published: 2025-09-23 - Modified: 2025-09-23 - URL: https://bslw.com/overview-of-film-and-negative-digitization/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: film, negatives, photographic, photographs, photos, transmissive > Gen. James Alward Van Fleet's personal collection of papers, donated to the George C. Marshall Foundation in 1984, has been digitized in preparation of making the collection available to researchers in the years to come. - Published: 2025-08-28 - Modified: 2025-08-22 - URL: https://bslw.com/general-van-fleet-papers-digitization/ - Categories: Case Studies - Tags: digital, digitization, photographs > When you work with a vendor to complete technical services in your library or archive, customization doesn't stop at the workflow and deliverables. Funding and timelines are intrinsically connected and these are customizable, too. - Published: 2025-07-29 - Modified: 2025-07-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/service-contracting-for-administrators/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: administration, budgets, contract terms, contracting, contracts, financing, library vendor, service vendor, technical services, timelines > Enjoy a brief demo presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - Published: 2025-07-28 - Modified: 2025-10-23 - URL: https://bslw.com/cataloging-surrogate-demo/ - Categories: Presentations, Collection Management — Video - Tags: Cataloging, metadata, metadata strategies, Non-Roman, remote cataloger, world languages This demonstration is taken from our webinar, Cataloging at a Distance: Capturing Surrogate Images for Remote Catalogers. Here, Jake Bastian talks through the process of scanning a book using our Scan-to-Catalog kit. Kits include: Laptop (with charger, mouse, and pad) CZUR Shine Ultra Pro Scanner (with power cable, USB cable, foot pedal, and capture area mat) Hard drive with USB cable Supplies (whiteboard, markers, eraser, ruler, acid-free paper flags, lint roller, and screen wipes) Contact Backstage for more information and a guide for what images to capture when generating cataloging surrogates. > What if your recent purchases arrived cataloged and neatly labeled, ready to hit the shelves? Backstage refers to this scenario as ‘shelf ready processing’, and it’s a phrase we use in a number of situations. Most typically, our shelf ready processing workflow is utilized in conjunction with ongoing publisher orders. - Published: 2025-06-24 - Modified: 2025-10-23 - URL: https://bslw.com/from-publisher-to-shelf-cataloging-acquisitions/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: acquisitions, approval order, Cataloging, firm order, librarianship, metadata, Physical processing, shelf ready > Enjoy our webinar presentation on capturing surrogate images for remote catalogers. Visit BSLW.com today, bringing high quality services to libraries and archives since 1986! - Published: 2025-06-18 - Modified: 2025-09-17 - URL: https://bslw.com/cataloging-at-a-distance-capturing-surrogate-images/ - Categories: Presentations, Collection Management — Video - Tags: Cataloging, metadata, metadata strategies, Non-Roman, remote cataloger, world languages Metadata operations in libraries aren't public-facing. They generally aren't high-profile. But organizing information is at the heart of librarianship, and cataloging makes access possible. Creating cataloging surrogates can empower a library's metadata team to streamline workflows, to operate with greater flexibility, to cultivate a network of language, format, and subject expertise, and ultimately, to increase access to collections. In this webinar, Jake Bastian, vice president of collection management services at Backstage Library Works, explores the practice of creating and working with cataloging surrogates, the reasons for adopting this tool, and how to integrate surrogates into your cataloging workflows. > Wonderfully diverse and occasionally complicated, scrapbooks are considered messy treasures of archival collections. The very thing that makes these resources incredible to study is what also causes them to be complicated when making them discoverable: that is, that anyone could make them with anything that they had on hand. - Published: 2025-05-29 - Modified: 2025-05-28 - URL: https://bslw.com/approaches-to-digitizing-scrapbooks/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: album, commonplace books, ephemera, grangerizing, journals, scrap book, scrapbook, victorian > Founded in 1985, the Micrographic Preservation Service began what has persisted to this day, a dedication to microfilm and digitization to meet the needs of patrons and researchers. - Published: 2025-04-28 - Modified: 2025-05-09 - URL: https://bslw.com/maps-revisited-preservation-since-the-80s/ - Categories: General - Tags: digitization, Microfilm, preservation > Is there a place for SHH in the library anymore? Backstage has explored a new service to see if silence is truly golden. - Published: 2025-04-01 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/outsourced-library-shushes-april-fools/ - Categories: Entertainment > Original materials that need to be altered before digitizing or microfilming may have covers cut off, binding strings sliced, or the spine removed by a guillotine. But that shouldn't make it a librarian's horror story! - Published: 2025-03-11 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/guide-to-disbinding-books/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: digitization, guillotine, microfilming > Every year, our team visits cities all over the United States – and sometimes outside the country! – for conferences and visits to evaluate collections for upcoming projects. This year is no different and the travel season is upon us. - Published: 2025-02-12 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/traveling-to-a-city-near-you-in-2025/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: conferences, libraries, travel, visits > MAPS was founded in 1985 by five research libraries: Columbia University, Cornell University, New York Public Library, New York State Library, and Princeton University. Their goal? “To adhere to the highest standards of preservation microfilming, and to create a high quality, low cost microfilming service for nonprofit organizations.” - Published: 2025-01-29 - Modified: 2025-05-22 - URL: https://bslw.com/history-of-maps-micrographic-preservation-service-1992/ - Categories: Presentations, Microfilm — Video - Tags: digitization, Microfilm, preservation MAPS was founded in 1985 by five research libraries: Columbia University, Cornell University, New York Public Library, New York State Library, and Princeton University. Their goal? "To adhere to the highest standards of preservation microfilming, and to create a high quality, low cost microfilming service for nonprofit organizations.” An alliance between MAPS and OCLC was formed in 1990 and, in 2009, the former MAPS center became a part of Backstage Library Works. In 2024, this video was rediscovered by members of our Microfilm and Digitization teams and restored. As we watch through it, it's fascinating to see how much has changed in the decades since, and how much remains the same. What has persisted is a dedication to the preservation of heritage materials, utilizing workflows that ensure high-fidelity capture of original materials. > Another year makes its entrance with support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities, and more... - Published: 2025-01-14 - Modified: 2025-01-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/2025-grant-opportunities-winter/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: archives, collections, endowment for the humanities, financing, grant, historical records, humanities, libraries, library, national archives > OCR is the conversion of text in images to something machine-readable; when combined with a DAM that can read it, a patron's level of access increases dramatically. - Published: 2024-12-10 - Modified: 2024-12-10 - URL: https://bslw.com/ocr-and-digitization/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: digitization, image to text, ocr, optical character recognition > When we think of accessing microfilm, a reel comes to mind, or perhaps microfiche. But have you ever seen microfilm come inside of a cassette? - Published: 2024-11-19 - Modified: 2024-11-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/crack-the-cartridge-with-backstage/ - Categories: Microfilm - Tags: Microfilm, microfilm preservation, microfilm reels, preservation, reels > "We are excited to announce the completion of our new 6,000 square foot office space, dedicated to expanding our cataloging and digitization services,” says Nate Cothran, company president. - Published: 2024-10-22 - Modified: 2025-10-23 - URL: https://bslw.com/backstage-opens-third-office-location/ - Categories: General - Tags: archiving, Cataloging, collection management, collections, digitization, libraries > Basefile processing is the first, major step into organizing a catalog so that its authority file integrates seamlessly. From there, ongoing processing is what keeps a catalog up-to-date and consistent. - Published: 2024-09-24 - Modified: 2025-01-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/three-authority-control-procedures/ - Categories: Authority Control - Tags: authority, authority processing, basefile, catalog, catalog cleanup, gap processing, library of congress, local file, ongoing, processing > Evaluating the rate at which materials to be cataloged will require copy-level cataloging versus original-level cataloging will help you plan your upcoming budget and timeline. - Published: 2024-08-27 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/preparing-for-cataloging-copy-rate/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: batches, Cataloging, collection, collection management, copy, databases, metadata, original, processing - Published: 2024-07-25 - Modified: 2025-08-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/2024-utah-state-msa-award-for-digitization/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: contract, digitization, government, msa, state > Vijay Singh, President of Doxie.AI, delves into the use of artificial intelligence to identify, extract, and give structure to visual data in digital image collections, building database content that increases discovery for users. - Published: 2024-06-25 - Modified: 2025-09-17 - URL: https://bslw.com/structured-data-extraction-using-artificial-intelligence/ - Categories: Presentations, Digitization, Digitization — Video - Tags: artificial intelligence, digitization, doxie.ai, vijay singh Vijay Singh, President of Doxie.AI delves into the use of artificial intelligence to identify, categorize, and extract textual data from digital image sources in government documents, library special collections, and archival materials. Artificial intelligence allows Doxie to work far beyond the limited capabilities of an OCR engine, identifying text that is out of alignment, obscured, or even handwritten, and extracting key elements to build database content that increases discovery and makes digital image collections searchable with the data points that are most meaningful to users. > The National Historical Publications & Records Commission has posted four grants to support discoverability and use of collections ahead of 2025. - Published: 2024-06-18 - Modified: 2024-06-18 - URL: https://bslw.com/nhprc-grants-offered-in-2024/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: archives, collections, financing, grant, historical records, library, national archives > How do libraries handle a catalog that supports a rich variety of languages? Learn how to see the record from a cataloger's perspective and the tools we use to help support multilingual collections. - Published: 2024-04-24 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/the-catalog-polyglot-metadata-and-world-languages/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: Cataloging, library, marc21, multilingual, romanization, transliteration > A brand new team is making its way to Backstage following the development of an incredible new cataloging certification. - Published: 2024-04-01 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/project-cataloger-squared-april-fools/ - Categories: Entertainment > All archival materials should be handled carefully in order to maintain the health of collections. When it comes to microfilm, there are a number of diseases you can avoid with proper care. - Published: 2024-03-19 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/keeping-your-microfilm-disease-free/ - Categories: Microfilm - Tags: archival, archival storage, environmental control, humidity control, Microfilm, redox, storage, temperature control, vinegar syndrome > What is authority control, and why should you care? Processing regular updates allows your catalog to maintain searchability and standardization, and the repercussions of skipping it can be more long-lasting than you'd think. - Published: 2024-02-20 - Modified: 2025-01-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/value-of-authority-control/ - Categories: Authority Control - Tags: authorities, authority, authority control, authority processing, headings, library, library headings, technical library > "It's like witnessing the evolution of preservation life." From scrapbooks to microfilm reels to digitization at last, Backstage has born special witness to the safekeeping of this collection by the Museum of History & Industry. - Published: 2024-01-16 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/preserving-hazel-niendorff-collection/ - Categories: Case Studies - Tags: microfilm digitization scrapbooks preservation > The National Historical Publications & Records Commission has provided one million dollars in funding for new grants. - Published: 2023-12-13 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/nhprc-grant-funding-in-2024/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: archives, collections, financing, grant, historical records, library, national archives > Ensure the safety of your materials the next time you ship books out to your outsourcing vendor. Read a step-by-step guide on what to consider, how to pack your boxes, and download our free inventory tracker. - Published: 2023-10-23 - Modified: 2025-05-28 - URL: https://bslw.com/shipping-library-materials-guide/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: libraries, receiving, shipping, transit, UPS, USPS > Media often simplifies AI as any computer-generated finished product. Doxie AI stands out by using AI for structured data extraction, saving time in tasks like metadata entry and form processing. Doxie excels with promising data privacy at over 90% accuracy and an innovative approach to automation. - Published: 2023-09-14 - Modified: 2025-09-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/doxie-ai-bringing-machine-learning-to-libraries/ - Categories: General - Tags: annotation, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, CSV, digitization, Dublin Core, ICR, intelligent character recognition, libraries, machine learning, metadata, metadata strategies, MODs, ocr, transcription, UC Berkeley > What began as a team-building exercise evolved into a fifteen month internal exhibition of employee creativity and talent. - Published: 2023-05-16 - Modified: 2023-05-16 - URL: https://bslw.com/pennsylvania-showcase-employee-art/ - Categories: General - Tags: bethlehem, crafts, employees, staff, talent > "We believe that digitization is not only a trend but a necessity for libraries in the 21st century, and we are committed to helping them achieve their goals together.” - Published: 2023-03-23 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/preservica-backstage-announce-partnership/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: cultural heritage, library services, Microfilm, partners, preservation, preserving, technical services > "As the team changes and grows, we hope to increase the number of projects we can bring to the Provo office this year.” - Published: 2023-02-22 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/digitization-returns-to-provo/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: cameras, digital, digitization, utah, western united states > Time keeps moving forward and so are we. We've set some goals for the new year that you may be interested in. Follow us for the latest updates. - Published: 2023-01-16 - Modified: 2023-09-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/backstage-looking-ahead-2023/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: archiving, authority control, digitization, diversity equity inclusion, GSA, M-19-21, metadata, Microfilm, reclassification > Consider these funding opportunities as you look ahead to your January planning. Need help with grant writing? We can help. - Published: 2022-12-02 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/grant-opportunities-2023/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: cultural heritage, digitization, funding, grant writing, grants, preservation, project management, scanning, scheduling > In this webinar, Casey Cheney, Vice President, Automation Services at Backstage Library Works and Emily O’Neal, Technical Service Manager at Deschutes Public Library explain how they applied the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to change problematic terminology within the library catalog. Hear a firsthand account of how a library can start building a more inclusive catalog that serves all users. - Published: 2022-11-02 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/dei-subject-heading-enhancements-at-deschutes-public-library/ - Categories: Presentations, Authority Control — Video - Tags: authority control, automation, equity diversity inclusion In this webinar, Casey Cheney, Vice President, Automation Services at Backstage Library Works, and Emily O’Neal, Technical Services Manager at Deschutes Public Library, explain how they applied the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to change problematic terminology within the library catalog. Hear a firsthand account of how a library can start building a more inclusive catalog that serves all users. > FADGI is the imaging standard for cultural heritage capture and an important part of upcoming N-19-21 requirements. How does Backstage stay compliant? - Published: 2022-10-24 - Modified: 2023-12-12 - URL: https://bslw.com/passing-fadgi-at-backstage/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: archiving, cameras, cultural heritage, digital capture, digitization, FADGI, imaging, NARA, scanning > Jerry Varner is a microfilm technician in our Microfilm department in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In between sessions at camera and coffee breaks, we communicated over e-mail to talk about his thoughts on Microfilming and experiences at Backstage and, formerly, OCLC. - Published: 2022-10-05 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/interview-gerald-varner/ - Categories: General - Tags: interview > A special collections archives vault within a medical university containing 15k-20k monographs in a variety of languages needed our help to perform a multi-stage inventory review. How did we go about doing it? - Published: 2022-09-26 - Modified: 2026-07-16 - URL: https://bslw.com/case-study-special-collections-inventory-mix/ - Categories: Case Studies Post - Tags: metadata, on-site A special collections archives vault within a medical university library contained close to 20 thousand monographs in a variety of languages. However, almost half of the volumes were undiscoverable... > "What is the value of working with a vendor?" To answer, it’s important to recognize everything in-house staff members and managers are responsible for. - Published: 2022-09-07 - Modified: 2022-09-08 - URL: https://bslw.com/service-partner-relationship-and-you/ - Categories: General - Tags: archiving, authority control, automation, Cataloging, digitial, digitization, marclink, Microfilm, microfilming, on-site, retrolink, retrospective conversion, service partner, vendor > Lisa Hardy is a cataloger, trainer, and team lead in our cataloging department in Provo, Utah, and I was able to grab a few moments of her time to talk to her about her experiences at Backstage. - Published: 2022-08-17 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/interview-lisa-hardy/ - Categories: General - Tags: interview > Who are we, and how did we get here? Learn more about the founding of our company and its growth over the years. - Published: 2022-07-20 - Modified: 2025-01-29 - URL: https://bslw.com/history-of-backstage-library-works/ - Categories: General - Tags: archiving, authority control, automation, Cataloging, digitial, digitization, marclink, Microfilm, microfilming, on-site, retrolink, retrospective conversion > The project began as backlog processing in 2019 and has since migrated to drop-shipped completion of recent CAP acquisitions with over 10,000 monographs processed since the project's inception. - Published: 2022-06-14 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/case-study-lc-coop-2022/ - Categories: Case Studies Post - Tags: metadata The Cooperative Acquisitions Program provides resources to expand international collections. A Research University Library has partnered with Backstage for years to have these shipments intercepted, cataloged, and made shelf-ready... > Backstage is very pleased to announce the award of their General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract which will provide support for Digitization and Collection Management services. - Published: 2022-06-07 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/gsa-mas-contract-award/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: document services, general services administration, multiple award schedule, records management > “Camera ready” is a term used to describe when, as the name suggests, materials are ready to be digitally captured or microfilmed. How do you prepare a jumble of papers, or a collection of books, or a pile of newspapers to be safely captured? - Published: 2022-04-20 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/camera-ready-set-go/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: collation, disbinding, material preparation > Jeannise is regarded as one of our leading camera and material experts, having worked with the company since 2005. - Published: 2022-04-14 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/interview-jeannise-rodriguez/ - Categories: General - Tags: interview > Deschutes Public Library has been working over the years to improve discoverability in their catalog with various term mappings and, most recently, decided to incorporate changes to Indigenous peoples terms from Backstage's peer-reviewed local authority file. - Published: 2022-03-22 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/automation-decolonization-service/ - Categories: Case Studies Post - Tags: automation When Deschutes Public Library evaluated their inclusivity goals and how those related to their bibliographic catalog, they decided to partner with Backstage to enhance the terms in their local term database... > Karen works with our cataloging and automation departments primarily on authority record editing and creation. - Published: 2022-03-14 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/interview-karen-anderson/ - Categories: General - Tags: interview > Language matters and it can be used to uplift and inspire or dehumanize and divide. - Published: 2022-03-10 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/impact-of-inclusivity-in-library-catalog/ - Categories: Authority Control - Tags: automation, decolonization, inclusive subject headings, thesauri > CLAMS joined Backstage as a testing partner, along with a group of other libraries, to fine-tune the LCSH to Homosaurus conversion procedure. - Published: 2022-03-03 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/automation-homosaurus-service/ - Categories: Case Studies Post - Tags: automation The LCSH to Homosaurus thesaurus was tested with the support of several library partners, one of whom was the Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing network. Sampling determined a unique approach for Juvenile form subdivisions... > Nearly 183,000 items were processed in an Inventory Plus project that took approximately 21 weeks to complete, and which was conducted in three parts at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary Library. - Published: 2022-02-27 - Modified: 2026-07-14 - URL: https://bslw.com/inventorying-a-seminary-collection/ - Categories: Case Studies Post - Tags: inventory Nearly 183,000 items were processed in an inventory project that was conducted in three parts across 21 weeks at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary Library. In addition to inventorying... > Greene & Meissner’s paper in 2005 titled More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Archival Processing has continued to spark debate and consideration across multiple disciplines within the library community. - Published: 2022-02-24 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/more-product-less-process-and-new-normal/ - Categories: Archival Processing - Tags: archival processing, on-site > When our team stays on-site with you, what exactly are they doing? What are their responsibilities and expectations, and what can you expect? We sat down with our Collection Management team to hear more about their duties in the day-to-day administration of an on-site project. - Published: 2022-02-10 - Modified: 2025-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/responsibilities-on-site-project-manager/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: barcoding, collection management, dusting, project management, RFID, weeding > Don't worry if you've fallen off of your New Years resolution. Your local library and these reading challenges we've found can help. - Published: 2022-01-27 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/interest-papers-22-reading-challenge/ - Categories: Entertainment - Tags: reading challenge > The ALA Youth Media Awards (YMAs) have been a mainstay of the ALA Midwinter Meeting for decades. Committees have gathered to discuss and vote, and awards have traditionally been announced on the conference’s Monday morning. - Published: 2022-01-20 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/youth-media-awards/ - Categories: Entertainment - Tags: ALA, awards, equity diversity inclusion > Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect an academic library’s authority control needs. - Published: 2022-01-18 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-academic-library-2/ - Categories: Presentations, Authority Control — Video - Tags: authority control Every heading and cross-reference in an authority record adds to your catalog's web of access points, enhancing discovery and putting relevant content into a patron's hands. Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. We believe that partnering with an authority control vendor should give you more control over your catalog, not less. In this webinar, Backstage's Casey Cheney explores factors that affect an academic library's authority control needs. She discusses common processing choices among our academic library clients and how to select these options in your Backstage profile. > Take a behind-the-scenes tour of our digitization studio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. - Published: 2022-01-18 - Modified: 2025-05-19 - URL: https://bslw.com/backstage-tour-digitization-studio/ - Categories: Presentations, Digitization — Video Step behind the scenes at the Backstage studio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where you'll follow the lifecycle of a digital imaging project from arrival to completion. > How do you handle authority records when outdated Library of Congress headings don’t reflect your library’s policies for inclusion? In this webinar, Casey Cheney, VP of Automation services at Backstage, explores external and internal changes that can affect headings in a library catalog. She discusses how leveraging automation can help a library’s metadata team manage updates and propagate decisions made at a local level. - Published: 2022-01-18 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/authority-control-consistency-among-the-changes/ - Categories: Presentations, Authority Control, Authority Control — Video How do you handle authority records when outdated Library of Congress headings don't reflect your library's policies for inclusion? Authority control enhances discovery in your library's catalog, disambiguating similar headings while collocating and cross-referencing related terms. Updates from external sources, like Library of Congress name and subject headings, change the preferred terminology over time. Left uncontrolled, older records will use different terms for a person or topic than newer records, impeding search. But authority control is more than just housekeeping. Some metadata librarians are using local authority practices to more respectfully recognize marginalized groups or to proactively decolonize their catalogs, replacing outdated terms still in use by national authority files with preferred terminology in their local records. In this webinar, Casey Cheney, vice president of automation services at Backstage Library Works, explores external and internal changes that can affect headings in a library catalog. She discusses how leveraging automation can help a library's metadata team manage updates and propagate decisions made at a local level. She also answers audience questions. > Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect the authority control needs of special collections, whether within a larger institution or as a standalone library or archive. - Published: 2022-01-18 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-academic-library/ - Categories: Presentations, Authority Control — Video Every heading and cross-reference in an authority record adds to your catalog's web of access points, enhancing discovery and putting relevant content into a patron's hands. Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. We believe that partnering with an authority control vendor should give you more control over your catalog, not less. In this webinar, Backstage's Casey Cheney explores factors that affect the authority control needs of special collections, whether within a larger institution or as a standalone library or archive. She discusses common processing choices among our special collections clients and how to select these options in your Backstage profile. > Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. In this webinar, In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect a public library’s authority control needs. - Published: 2022-01-18 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/authority-control-in-the-public-library/ - Categories: Presentations, Authority Control — Video Every heading and cross-reference in an authority record adds to your catalog's web of access points, enhancing discovery and putting relevant content into a patron's hands. Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. We believe that partnering with an authority control vendor should give you more control over your catalog, not less. In this webinar, Backstage's Casey Cheney explores factors that affect a public library's authority control needs. She discusses common processing choices among our public library clients and how to select these options in your Backstage profile. > In this webinar, Jacob Bastian, vice president of collection management services at Backstage, explores key concepts of project management and applies the discipline to a library setting. He also gives real-world examples, drawing on years of experience leading collection management projects in libraries. - Published: 2022-01-11 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/project-management-in-practice-in-libraries/ - Categories: Presentations, General — Video As information professionals, our calendars are filled with scheduled meetings, routines, and ongoing workflows. We have to be flexible to make room for unplanned encounters and emergencies. We also frequently take on projects large and small, simple and complex. Thoughtfully identifying the projects that come up in the course of our work allows us to define their parameters, intentionally bring to bear project management tools and best practices, and successfully deliver on the goals of our stakeholders. In this webinar, Jacob Bastian, vice president of collection management services at Backstage, explores key concepts of project management and applies the discipline to a library setting. He also gives real-world examples, drawing on years of experience leading collection management projects in libraries. > You know what D&D is by now, but do you know how to start a program at your library? Read up on tips from our adventuring staff. - Published: 2022-01-06 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/interest-papers-22-tabletop-gaming/ - Categories: Entertainment - Tags: D&D, fun, interest papers > Happy Holidays to all of our partner libraries, network, and archives! - Published: 2021-12-13 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/jolabokaflod-celebration/ - Categories: Entertainment - Tags: fun, holidays > Read how Backstage approached its digitization project with South Carolina State Library to bring access to over 66,000 pages, and more. - Published: 2021-10-28 - Modified: 2026-07-01 - URL: https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-digitizing-south-carolina-state-library/ - Categories: Digitization, Case Studies - Tags: digitization, disbinding > Photographing digital “facsimiles” of materials – or as we colloquially say at Backstage, “surrogates” – can be a useful workflow for a variety of situations faced in the technical library setting. The process varies, but the goal is to have a technician create brief scans of books, maps, and other materials in order to enable a cataloger to create or enhance a bibliographic record without the item in hand. - Published: 2021-10-14 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/cataloging-surrogates-workflows/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: metadata, work from home - Published: 2021-09-23 - Modified: 2021-09-23 - URL: https://bslw.com/lighten-your-collections-management-workload/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: inventory, reclassification, RFID Collection management projects like RFID tagging, reclassification, inventory, and moving may involve handling nearly every item in a library’s collection. To meet your library’s project requirements, we offer four tiers of on-site services. > METS and ALTO – popularly, METS/ALTO – are terms that are thrown around when you start talking about digitizing and hosting your collections. Not all digital asset management programs, or DAMs, require METS or ALTO files, but a handful do (Veridian being a notable example), and if you’re considering article level segmentation, or ALS, then you will need to provide METS/ALTO files alongside your digitized collection. - Published: 2021-09-09 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/mets-alto-introduction/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: ALS, ALTO, digitization, faq, METS, XML > Looking for help with your next deaccessioning project? Visit BSLW.com today and learn more about how you can leverage our expertise. - Published: 2021-08-19 - Modified: 2026-05-26 - URL: https://bslw.com/simple-guide-to-weeding/ - Categories: Collection Management - Tags: clean-up, deaccessioning, weeding > Are you a Califa member? Visit BSLW.com today and learn more about discounts available to your library! - Published: 2021-08-05 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/califa-group-preferred-vendor/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: Califa, discount, preferred vendor > Are you looking for an easier approach to LC acquisitions? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-07-22 - Modified: 2025-08-18 - URL: https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-lccoop-made-simple/ - Categories: Case Studies, Collection Management - Tags: Cataloging, cooperative acquisitions program, lccap, lcoop, metadata, shelf ready > Are you looking for preservation or digitization services? How about both? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-07-01 - Modified: 2023-12-15 - URL: https://bslw.com/preservation-access-married-conversation/ - Categories: Digitization, Microfilm - Tags: digitization, Microfilm > Do you need help writing your grant proposals? Visit BSLW.com today for assistance, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-06-09 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/institute-museum-library-services-rescue-grants/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: grant > Decolonizing your authority file doesn't have to feel like an insurmountable task. Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-05-20 - Modified: 2021-05-20 - URL: https://bslw.com/webinar-debrief-consistency-among-changes/ - Categories: Authority Control - Tags: authority control, decolonization, subject terms > Are you considering microfilm solutions for your newspaper collections? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-05-13 - Modified: 2025-10-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/product-spotlight-microfilming-newspapers/ - Categories: Microfilm, Case Studies - Tags: Microfilm, newspaper, newspaper scanning > Are you considering RFID tagging your collection? Visit BSLW.com today, the industry leader since 1986! - Published: 2021-05-06 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/planning-your-rfid-tagging-project/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: inventory management, Radio-frequency identification, RFID - Published: 2021-04-20 - Modified: 2025-08-18 - URL: https://bslw.com/easier-lc-coop-acquisitions-with-backstage-processing/ - Categories: Case Studies - Tags: Cataloging, Non-Roman, Physical processing - Published: 2021-04-09 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/reclassification-questions/ - Categories: Project Preparation - Tags: faq, reclassification - Published: 2021-03-16 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/choosing-a-digital-image-format/ - Categories: Digitization - Tags: digitization, file format, ocr - Published: 2021-02-19 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/clir-digitizing-hidden-special-collections-2021-2022/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: digitization, grants CLIR has announced the latest phase of its Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program, called Amplifying Unheard Voices, supported by a $4,415,000 investment from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. - Published: 2021-02-12 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/of-the-people-mellon-foundation-grant/ - Categories: Press Release - Tags: grant - Published: 2021-01-08 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://bslw.com/microfilm-storage-with-backstage-library-works/ - Categories: Microfilm - Tags: Microfilm, Special Collections - Published: 2020-09-29 - Modified: 2020-12-02 - URL: https://bslw.com/four-updates-to-enhance-your-authority-control/ - Categories: Authority Control Backstage is always working to improve our services for our clients, and we’ve recently made four additions to expand your options for authority control services. > Today’s digital newspaper collections owe much of their content to microfilm produced for the U.S. Newspaper Program (USNP) from 1982 to 2011. But what role does microfilm play in the preservation efforts of a modern library? In this webinar, guest presenter William Schlaack, digital reformatting coordinator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares how microfilm fits into the University Library’s preservation program. - Published: 2020-09-23 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/from-paper-to-film-microfilming-and-usnp-at-uiuc/ - Categories: Presentations, Microfilm — Video Digitized newspapers are an invaluable resource for searching local history and genealogy. Today's digital newspaper collections owe much of their content to microfilm produced for the U.S. Newspaper Program (USNP) from 1982 to 2011. But what role does microfilm play in the preservation efforts of a modern library? In this webinar, guest presenter William Schlaack, digital reformatting coordinator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares how microfilm fits into the University Library's preservation program. He explains why and how UIUC continues to expand its microfilm collections, presents an overview of the microfilming process, and discusses considerations to ensure that your microfilm collections are ready to digitize. > In this webinar, guest presenters Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour, and Rachel Wittmann relate their approach to creating — and continuing to develop — the Utah COVID-19 digital collection at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. They discuss born-digital content, metadata, permissions, and use scenarios. - Published: 2020-09-09 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/documenting-contemporary-regional-history-the-utah-covid-19-digital-collection/ - Categories: Presentations, Archival Processing — Video In March, as businesses, schools, and libraries began to shut down, history was being made. Documenting these events at a local and regional level presented opportunities and challenges. How do you gather and organize the digital artifacts of an emergency situation when connecting with the community is complicated by the emergency itself? In this webinar, guest presenters Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour, and Rachel Wittmann relate their approach to creating — and continuing to develop — the Utah COVID-19 digital collection at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. They discuss born-digital content, metadata, permissions, and use scenarios. Jeremy Myntti is interim Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication at the Marriott Library. His research interests revolve around making library collections more discoverable and accessible to patrons. Anna Neatrour is Interim Head of Digital Library Services and Digital Initiatives Librarian at the Marriott Library. She enjoys working on collaborative digitization projects and exploring topics in digital humanities. Rachel Wittmann is the Digital Curation Librarian at the Marriott Library. In her role, she creates metadata for digital collections, develops digital exhibits, and enjoys exploring ways to interpret metadata with data visualizations. - Published: 2020-08-28 - Modified: 2025-07-24 - URL: https://bslw.com/questions-to-ask-when-selecting-a-vendor-partner/ - Categories: General > In this webinar, Dan Zellner, digitization manager at Northwestern University, leads a discussion of ISO 9001:2015, an international standard for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9001 is used across a range of industries and public sector institutions. The Northwestern University Library has found it to be a useful framework for analyzing digitization workflows and refining processes through data-driven adjustments. - Published: 2020-08-26 - Modified: 2025-05-21 - URL: https://bslw.com/quality-management-in-digitalization-examining-workflows-with-iso-9001/ - Categories: Presentations, Digitization — Video If you've worked with digitization projects in libraries or archives, you've heard of standards like the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). These standards provide our community with benchmarks and best practices for creating consistent digital images. But what other standards are useful in this field? In this webinar, Dan Zellner, digitization manager at Northwestern University, leads a discussion of ISO 9001:2015, an international standard for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9001 is used across a range of industries and public sector institutions. The Northwestern University Library has found it to be a useful framework for analyzing digitization workflows and refining processes through data-driven adjustments.