As the bard once declared, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” For the Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, each day can now be judged by both, thanks to the addition of the high-yielding KABIS III book scanning system. The bountiful, high quality output of the KABIS system has allowed for the swift reproduction of rare, out of print books, transforming the dormant heritage and academic content contained within into fertile seeds– to be multiplied and broadcast around the world to eager and awaiting hands.
In 2012 ,the B.L. Fisher library at Asbury Seminary initiated an online open access press called First Fruits Press as a way to make rare and hard-to-find books from their extensive collections available globally. According to Dr. Robert A. Danielson, Scholarly Communication Librarian, “The KABIS scanner allows us to scan rapidly and precisely, and has allowed us to make incredibly clear digital images for republication. So far we have produced over 300 online books.”
Thanks to the complement of two top-of-the-line Canon DSLR cameras and high-end companion lenses, the KABIS allows the library to produce substantial digital output of their fragile and rare content as rich, full color images with optical resolutions up to 600 DPI.
The KABIS system has also been an essential part of other internal digital archiving projects as Asbury seeks to preserve fragile materials from its past. Dr. Danielson adds, “One of our most difficult projects has been a paper published by our founder, The Pentecostal Herald . The KIRTAS has been used to make exceptionally clear copies of this large formatted periodical as the originals have begun to crumble away. We would be unable to attain the high quality we want to achieve without the KABIS scanner.”
The Asbury Theological Seminary was founded more than 90 years ago with a self-declared mission to “spread scriptural holiness around the world.” Asbury Seminary continues to hold close to this mission, providing ministerial preparation within the framework of an interdenominational institution. The high quality, high yield productivity of the KABIS scanner had proven to be a critical tool for reaping knowledge from Asbury’s vast treasure of rare, archival material. The fruits of these labors will provide valuable sustenance for Asbury’s alumni and global beneficiaries for years to come.
Amazing!