LOUISiana Digital Library to use JPEG 2000

This is taken from an article in The Louisiana Library Network Newsletter (v13, n1, 2005).

LOUISiana Digital Library Update
by Pat Vince

How many times have you looked at an image in a digital library and wished you could zoom in for a closer look? Now LOUIS is offering the JPEG2000 Extension for CONTENTdm. The JPEG2000 Extension converts TIFF and JPEG files to JPEG2000 files during the import process to Acquisition Station. JPEG2000 allows maps, artworks, architectural drawings, paintings and other large image formats to be presented in a standard Web browser with a zoom and pan toolbar feature. Institutions benefit from using JPEG2000 by having more flexibility in selecting large format items for inclusion in the digital library. Users benefit from higher quality, detailed images without the delays of waiting for large images to be transmitted and without the need for downloading any special viewer. JPEG2000 items can be saved to “My Favorites,” in the LOUISiana Digital Library and used in slide shows to view and compare details among primary source materials.

JPEG2000 images will be used in the Louisiana Gumbo: A Recipe for Empowerment grant project (see page 4). With contributions by the Louisiana State Museum and the Historic New Orleans Collection, the LOUISiana Digital Library will soon have two new Louisiana Paintings collections and one new Louisiana Historical Map collection. Images in these collections will use the JPEG2000 format allowing users to view the fine details. To view these collections, visit our Web site http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/