History is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing ways to gain knowledge of the past with a combination of amazing and sometimes disturbing stories. The most encouraging part of history is that we have the opportunity to progress and discover more about our heritage. And Charleston County, South Carolina is doing just that! The Charleston County’s Register of Deeds (ROD) office records the land titles, liens and other documents related to property transactions in the county. The ROD’s responsibility is to assure that all recorded documents comply with requirements of federal and state recording statutes making the documents available to the public.
Preserving the Charleston County Land Records in digital form is crucial to providing long term access to aging and deteriorating public records. The scanning of these historical documents is being performed using the i2S SupraScan Quartz A0, the same advanced scanners that are used by organizations like the Library of Congress, State historical Societies and Universities throughout the US. Utilizing the i2S SupraScan Quartz A0, this powerful scanner delivers quality and absolute detail for the best document preservation possible.
The Charleston County Imaging Department compresses these files after they are scanned, and at this point, the files are available online for public access. The department’s Senior Imaging Specialist, Bob McIntyre says that they’ve been scanning the original handwritten Historical Collection in their office from as far back as 1719. With more than 1,000 volumes to scan, McIntyre is pleased to point out that 40% of the project is complete. “The i2S equipment has been an unparalleled help to kick starting our projects and maintaining the integrity of our records,” McIntyre boasted. He added: “the one feature that has been critical for us is the book cradle. Without this crucial feature, our team wouldn’t have been able to effectively accomplish the project. The sales staff and support staff have been remarkable. It took a couple of years for our county government to agree to the funding, but once all was finalized and setup, the projects began and importance of the equipment was fully realized."
Learn more about this project here:
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/digitizing-history-a-modern-tool-preserving-charleston-countys-past
https://www.live5news.com/2019/05/31/charleston-county-working-preserve-historical-documents-dating-back-years/
https://mailchi.mp/iiri.com/new-blog-buying-a-refurbished-scanner-599811?e=376e8a0a0d
