ScanPro Integration with FamilySearch

Scanning technology has been rapidly developing over the past few years. FamilySearch.org has, in a real sense, been pushing the edges of this technology in their efforts to digitize over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm. But microfilm has not disappeared. There is still a huge need for improvements in microfilm scanners. Most genealogist who have been working on their ancestry for a while are overly familiar with the old film reader machines that projected an image on a white screen at the bottom of the reader. Here is a photo of the older box-style reader:

http://www.censusmicrofilm.com/nmi2020.htm

Using similar technology to that used by FamilySearch to digitize microfilm, newer devices scan (digitize) the film and project a digital image of each image onto a monitor. One of the types of scanners that are in use at the larger Family History Libraries is the ScanPro series of scanners. Here is a ScanPro from their product brochure:

Rather than a hand crank, this microfilm reader/scanner moves the film with computer commands. The images from the microfilm can be easily adjusted, rotated and captured. If you visit a Family History Center that has one or more of these machines, you can save any images you find directly to a flash drive or other storage device.

Now e-ImageData Corp has added a new twist to the scanning process. In a recent announcement they say:

e-Image Connection Software 

Much of the information you need when working on genealogy research projects include documents, records, family photos, letters, and articles, etc., that can be found only on microfilm. e-Image Connection is a software feature that is available for all ScanPro microfilm scanners that makes it easy and efficient to upload this information directly to your Family Search account. You start by logging into to your Family Search account, use the ScanPro microfilm scanner to locate information that you are interested in, select that information,and CLICK the Family Search upload button. It is that easy. You also have powerful, easy-to-use image editing tools available including image adjustment, OCR (create word searchable documents), and renaming scans (for easy identification). And, the image adjustments are live so you can see exactly the changes that you are making before uploading.

Closer to your family’s history with just a CLICK!

Wouldn’t it be nice if when you came across that ONE photo of your great-great-grandparent, you could just click ONE button and save it to your Family Search account? At E-Image Data we think you should do just that. Our new E-Image Connection software for all models of the ScanPro works seamlessly with Family Search, allowing you to simply click the Family Search Upload button to save the record, photo, letter or article directly to your Family Search account. It’s that simple! You can then continue down your research path and find out what more you can learn about your relatives of the past. Using the ScanPro and E-Image Connection is the easiest and most efficient way to do genealogy research and gets you one click closer to your family history.

These advances make transferring these images even more convenient. Of course, there is still a need to review the reliability and appropriateness of any image used as a source and attached to FamilySearch.org Family Tree. I would assume that the larger FamilySearch Libraries will acquire this new technology in the not-too-distant future.