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Orenburg Museum to Digitize Rare Books and World War II Newspapers
The Orenburg Governor's Historical and Local History Museum has acquired an Elarscan A1-600KS planetary scanner.
The scanner will allow the museum to digitize rare and oversized items while minimizing physical handling of the originals. The first items to be digitized include the only known manuscript in Russia by Ottoman calligrapher Seyyid Mehmed Şekerzade, dating to 1753; the Ostrog Bible, printed by Ivan Fedorov in 1581; and a handwritten copy of the Stepennaia Kniga (Book of Degrees), a historical account of the Russian state. The list also includes bound issues of the Boevoi Natisk (Battle Charge) newspaper from 1941 to 1945, documents belonging to artist Lukian Popov, and deteriorating accession books from the museum's main collection.
The scanner is designed to handle heavy and bulky originals, including books up to 30 centimeters thick and weighing up to 50 kilograms, and materials up to A1+ size. Its design allows books to be opened flat at 180 degrees or held in a V-shaped position at a 120-degree angle, helping protect fragile bindings.
Digital copies will reduce the need to handle original items and make the collection more accessible to researchers and visitors.
