There's no need to check your calendars. Yes I'm writing about microfilm CAR systems and no it's not 1995.

Microfilm CAR (Computer Assisted Retrieval) systems were developed in the 80’s as a way to quickly locate any image across a vast microfilm collection. It was really an ingenious system at the time; a computer database would contain a detailed inventory of all your microfilm rolls. So if you were looking for Kevin D'Arcy’s student record, you could search on ‘Kevin D'Arcy’, filter down the results using additional fields such as data of birth, and the system would tell you his file was located on roll 2,784 at frame 346. You would simply pull roll 2,784 from the cabinet, load it into your microfilm reader printer and it would automatically advance the roll to frame 346, bringing you right to Kevin’s file. You could even configure it to automatically print the record. For the visual people in the group:

So your organization has made the decision to scan your paper files, turning those stale documents into useful digital content. You've decided to outsource the bulk scanning of your documents, but you have a lot questions before you're ready to send your files out. Questions such as:

Are you looking to bring more digital content to your patrons in 2014? Are you looking for solutions that are easy to use and will cut down on time spent by staff re-training users? If that's the case, here are three digital/scanning solutions your library may want to consider.

Every month our document scanning team converts over 5 million paper files into useful digital images. For us, document scanning doesn't mean feeding a handful of sheets through a multi-function scanner, it means high volume, high security and high accuracy conversion so you can focus on your core business activities.

Workflow and Office Automation can be Exciting... We promise.

Workflow, or office automation, is one of the most exciting and useful features available with document management software. I realize using the word “exciting” with the phrase “document management software” has probably got a few of you laughing, but hear us out.

Access information when, where and how you need it with document scanning

Why should we consider scanning our files?
There are several reasons businesses consider scanning their files; including:

• Space; paper filing systems take up a considerable amount of office space, space that could be better used by productive employees.

• Disaster Recovery Planning; no one likes to think about the worst case scenarios, but those who do are the ones who end up on top. Imagine a fire or flood happened in your office and you lost all your paper files tomorrow. What would that mean for your business? Scanned documents can easily be backed up and recovered from multiple locations with speed and ease.

• Productivity; employees spend about 40% of their time looking for information they need to make decisions. Searching through paper files is, to say the least, time consuming and unproductive. With document scanning your staff can find the information they need in a matter of seconds.

Are you questioning whether or not you can justify the transition from a paper based filing system to electronic document management solution? The real question should be “can you afford not to?” There are a lot of very expensive and unproductive soft costs associated with a paper filing system; so we ask you, is this really the best use of your staff’s time?

Employee Time Searching for Documents
A recent survey shows that employees spend 25% of their time just looking for information they need to do their job. On top of that, every week 42% of people use the wrong information to make decisions, requiring rework (read = more time, more money). An electronic filing system puts documents at the fingertips of every employee and manages version control, ensuring your staff are always working from the most current information.

For organizations who are still paper-based or for those using, unstructured, network drives to store digital files this is a very common question.

Well it's finally happened. Canon Canada, the long-time microfilm industry leader, has announced the discontinuation of their microfilm toner cartridges and so ends a significant era in microfilm history.

One of the most common questions we face on a day to day basis is "How do you convert my paper files into digital images?". It's not a surprising question, the process watching 200 boxes of documents leave your office for scanning and come back on a hard drive about the size of a deck of cards is a pretty amazing. The truth is the entire event is a systematic process with a heavy focus on security and quality.