Client

Daniel Michaels

Industry

Education

Service

AI Product Development

Duration

3 Year

National Institute for Newman Studies Digital Collections

The National Institute for Newman Studies (NINS) sought a modern solution to digitize and organize its extensive collection of historical materials about St. John Henry Newman. The goal was to make these rare resources easily accessible to scholars and the public while providing curators with robust tools to manage and expand the collection.

The Challenge

NINS had over 250,000 historical items, including letters, diaries, photos, music scores, and books, stored in boxes and cupboards. These materials were inaccessible to scholars and the public, limiting research and learning opportunities. Without a structured digital repository, locating specific documents was slow and cumbersome. The system had to support continuous digitization, future data expansion, and secure storage.

The Solution

To overcome these challenges, we implemented an AI-powered library digitization system that seamlessly integrates intelligent automation, advanced search capabilities, and scalable infrastructure. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) automatically converts scanned images into searchable text, eliminating manual transcription. We also added machine learning algorithms enhance text recognition, even for historical documents with faded ink or unique handwriting styles. On top of that an AI-powered metadata tagging system organizes documents by topic, date, and relevance, streamlining retrieval and elasticsearch integration ensures lightning-fast searches across 40 terabytes of digitized content, enabling scholars to find relevant documents instantly. An open-source document viewer with IIIF protocol support allows users to view, annotate, and share digitized materials effortlessly also blockchain-based security ensures document authenticity and prevents unauthorized alterations.

Effortless Digitization & Management

AI-driven OCR and metadata tagging eliminate manual data entry, significantly reducing processing time.

Instant & Accurate Search

Elasticsearch-powered search functionality allows users to locate documents with unparalleled speed and precision.

Global Accessibility

Scholars and researchers can access rare historical materials from anywhere, fostering global collaboration.

Seamless Document Sharing & Collaboration

The IIIF-supported document viewer enables smooth sharing and interactive research experiences.

Scalable & Future-Proof System

A robust infrastructure ensures seamless integration of new collections as digitization efforts continue.

Enhanced Security & Compliance

Blockchain-backed document integrity and AI-driven compliance frameworks ensure data privacy and authenticity.

The Impact

The NINS platform revolutionized access to historical materials about St. John Henry Newman. Curators now have a dedicated portal to upload and organize collections efficiently. A process that could have taken years to complete manually is now streamlined and automated. Scholars and the public now have access to rare documents that were once locked away, fostering deeper research and learning opportunities.

%+

Reducation of Manual Data Entry

%+

Faster Search

++

Rare Documents Digitized

%+

Secure Data

Key Features

Intuitive portal for curators to upload and manage collections.

OCR functionality for searchable text conversion.

Open-source document viewer with IIIF protocol support.

Elasticsearch integration for powerful and fast searches.

Scalable architecture for handling 40 terabytes of data.

Easy sharing options for users and scholars.

Custom features tailored to NINS’s specific use cases.

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