U.S. EPA Library Collections 

Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

Submitted to 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

U.S. EPA Library Collections 

Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

Submitted to 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 

1. DIGITIZATION PROCESS FOR THE EPA LIBRARY COLLECTIONS ........................................................... 2 

1.1 PRE-SCANNING DOCUMENT AND MANIFEST RECEIPT AND PREPARATION ................................. 2 

1.2 DOCUMENT TRACKING AND CONTROL DURING SCANNING TO DVD OUTPUT PROCESS ............. 2 

1.3 SCANNING TO DIGITAL IMAGE ............................................................................................... 4 

1.4 OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION ..................................................................................... 9 

1.5 CD/DVD CREATION .......................................................................................................... 10 

1.6 MEDIA DELIVERY QUALITY CONTROL .................................................................................. 10 

1.7 SHIPPING MATERIALS BACK TO EPA LIBRARIES .................................................................. 10 

2. LOADING THE SCANNED IMAGES AND METADATA ON TO THE EPA NEPIS WEB SITE .......................... 12 

2.1 RESTORE DATA TO LOCAL PC WORKSTATION AND INITIAL QC ............................................. 12 

2.2 EXPORTING DATA ............................................................................................................. 12 

2.3 RE-DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS TO INDEXES ................................................................... 12 

2.4 HARDCOPY INDEX PROCESSING ......................................................................................... 13 

2.5 PROCESS INDEXES TO BUILD SEARCHABLE DATABASES ....................................................... 13 

2.6 POST-PROCESSING – GENERATING STATIC CONTENT PAGES ............................................... 13 

2.7 PREPARE DATA TO SHIP TO THE EPA NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTER ................................... 13 

2.8 QA CHECKS FOR FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PUBLIC SERVER ................................................... 13 

3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN CONTRACTORS .................................................................................... 16 

4. STANDARDS AND EQUIPMENT ......................................................................................................... 17 

5. QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE ....................................................................................... 21 

5.1 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN ................................................................................................... 21 

5.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................. 21 

6. CAPABILITIES AND FEATURES OF NSCEP WEB SITE........................................................................ 23 

6.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 23 

6.2 CAPABILITIES AND FEATURES ............................................................................................. 23 

CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................................. 31 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

LIST OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1. From the EPA Library to the NSCEP Web Site: A Total View of Document Digitization 

 and Management Process Flow .................................................................................................... 3 

Exhibit 2. Standard Scanning Specifications ...................................................................................... 7 

Exhibit 3. Flowchart for Loading the Scanned Images and Metadata to the NEPIS Web Site ............ 15 

Exhibit 4. Industry Imaging Standards ................................................................................................ 18 

Exhibit 5. Imaging Hardware and Software ........................................................................................ 19 

Exhibit 6. NSCEP (NEPIS) ZyLab Imaging System Hardware and Software ..................................... 20 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

1

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) requested that the EPA contractor 

prepare and submit a Digitization Process 

Report that outlines the applications, 

hardware, and processes and procedures 

used to digitize documents for inclusion in 

the National Service Center for 

Environmental Publications (NSCEP) Web 

site (http://www.epa.gov/NSCEP), a public 

Web site supported by the internal National 

Environmental Publications Internet Site 

(NEPIS). 

The following report describes the process 

of digitization of EPA documents at the 

EPA contractor’s Document Imaging 

Facility and the EPA NEPIS process. Also 

included in the report are discussions 

regarding relevant standards, an overview of 

quality control measures, a summary of 

hardware and software used, and the 

capabilities and features associated with the 

NSCEP Web site. 

Six sections comprise this report, including: 

• Section 1: Digitization Process for the 

EPA Library Collections. This section 

provides an overview of the entire 

digitization workflow from receipt of the 

library collection boxes to the loading of 

the images and data onto the EPA 

NEPIS Web site. 

• Section 2: Loading the Scanned 

Images and Metadata on to the EPA 

NEPIS Web Site. This section describes 

the process of loading the scanned 

documents to the NEPIS Web site. 

• Section 3: Collaboration between 

Contractors. This section outlines the 

EPA contractor’s process to ensure the 

effective collaboration of the various 

units, staffs, and groups involved in the 

entire processing workflow. 

• Section 4: Standards and Equipment. 

This section discusses the industry 

standards to which the EPA contractor 

adheres and identifies the equipment and 

software to perform the work in a timely 

manner. 

• Section 5: Quality Control/Quality 

Assurance. This section reviews 

industry-standard quality assurance 

methodology and toolset that delivers 

high-quality imaging products, data, and 

services. 

• Section 6: Capabilities and Features of 

the NSCEP Web Site. A general 

overview of the NSCEP Web site is 

provided in this section. 
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1. DIGITIZATION PROCESS FOR THE 

EPA LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

This section describes the pre-scanning 

processing steps, including the important 

quality control steps of title verification and 

EPA publication number check. A detailed 

presentation of the scanning process from 

document preparation through optical 

character recognition (OCR) and output 

creation including all of the critical quality 

control steps is then provided. 

Exhibit 1 depicts the entire digitization 

workflow from receipt of the library 

collection boxes to the loading of the images 

and data onto the EPA NEPIS Web site. 

Each of the major processes areas and steps 

are also described in further detail 

throughout sections 1 and 2. 

1.1 PRE-SCANNING DOCUMENT AND 

MANIFEST RECEIPT AND 

PREPARATION

 

Upon receipt of the boxes of documents and 

manifests to be scanned from EPA libraries, 

the EPA contractor will perform the 

following pre-scanning preparation steps: 

• Log each box in an EPA Library 

Document Log. 

• Track each box as it goes through 

scanning steps. 

• Compare the manifest with the contents 

of the boxes and note any discrepancies. 

Contact the library responsible for 

shipping the box to resolve all 

discrepancies. 

• Check each document to ensure it has a 

properly formatted and standardized 

EPA publication number assigned. If 

needed, request a new publication 

number from appropriate NSCEP staff 

members. 

• Compare the title on the physical 

document to the data entered on the 

manifest and update the manifest, if 

needed. 

• Apply a publication number label to the 

upper right corner of the document 

cover, if needed. 

1.2 DOCUMENT TRACKING AND CONTROL 

DURING SCANNING TO DVD OUTPUT 

PROCESS

Documents received for processing will be 

recorded in the Project Receiving Logs by 

the EPA contractor’s document preparation 

team. Upon receipt, the Document 

Processing Supervisor and team leader will 

identify and inventory the containers and 

document files and estimate the size of the 

collection to optimize staffing and resource 

needs to meet the turnaround requirements. 
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Exhibit 1. From the EPA Library to the NSCEP Web Site: A Total View of Document Digitization and Management Process Flow. 
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All materials that are received for document 

processing will be inspected against the 

transmittal documentation to ensure that all 

pieces have been received. Materials will be 

marked with unique container/box 

identifiers that enable a work history to be 

compiled that reflects all tasks completed on 

that container. Then next step is to log 

materials in the container control and 

tracking database to maintain document 

chain-of custody and integrity throughout 

the processing cycle. This step will also 

facilitate the location and retrieval of a 

document, in the processing workflow, in 

the event that the client requests a particular 

document or publication be returned. 

Peculiar information that is unique to a 

specific container or batch of documents 

will be captured in the tracking logs to 

ensure accountability of documents. 

1.3 SCANNING TO DIGITAL IMAGE

The EPA contractor will produce clearly 

legible, high-quality digital images in the 

correct orientation and reduction that meet 

American National Standards Institute 

(ANSI) and Association for Information and 

Image Management (AIIM) electronic 

imaging standards, consistent with the 

specific requirements of the EPA. The EPA 

contractor uses scanning and imaging 

software packages that have been developed 

to implement digital imaging requirements 

and improved over the years for the delivery 

of digital images. Imaged pages will be 

returned to the EPA in the exact order, 

collation, and condition in which they were 

received. 

1.3.1 IMAGING WORK ORDER

 

Each request for imaging services will be 

initiated with a Document Imaging Work 

Order completed by the project manager in 

consultation with the EPA. The Document 

Imaging Work Order details the specific 

requirements and instructions and forms the 

basis for all work produced. The Work 

Order and project control procedure will 

ensure that product quality and workflow 

throughout the image processing are 

consistent with the requirements of the EPA. 

The instructions on the Document Imaging 

Work Order will determine the order or 

sequence in which materials are processed to 

ensure the orderly flow of documents 

through the imaging process. 

The EPA contractor supervisors will 

constantly monitor and track the processing 

pipeline to ensure that all material 

designated for imaging is processed as 

requested and that batches of documents can 

be immediately located and retrieved, if 

required. The use of processing control logs 

for each workflow task also enables the 

identification and location of documents 

throughout the processing cycle. 
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1.3.2 DOCUMENT PREPARATION

Prior to scanning, staff will prepare the 

documents to facilitate high-speed scanning 

and maintain the physical integrity of 

batches in the collections. The EPA 

contractor’s imaging management will 

define unique document preparation and 

unitization instructions according to the 

requirements specified by the EPA. These 

instructions will ensure that the proper 

collation and integrity of the document 

collection, including the original source file 

configurations, are maintained throughout 

the document conversion process. Line 

supervisors will ensure that document 

preparation staff follow the instructions 

contained in the Document Imaging Work 

Order. In its preparation activities, the EPA 

contractor will follow where applicable the 

standards ANSI/AIIM TR15-1997–Planning 

Considerations, Addressing Preparation of 

Documents for Image Capture and 

ANSI/AIIM MS52-1991–Recommended 

Practice for the Requirements and 

Characteristics of Original Documents 

Intended for Optical Scanning. 

The EPA contractor’s document preparation 

manuals contain specific instructions for 

materials that may require special handling, 

such as onionskin paper, brittle, fragile, 

damaged, old, or one-of-a-kind documents. 

Such documents may need to be scanned on 

the flatbed of the document scanners rather 

than through the auto-feed mechanism to 

prevent damage or mutilation during 

processing. Line supervisors will ensure that 

document preparation staff maintain records 

or control logs describing the nature, 

condition, and characteristics of documents 

and in accordance with the ANSI/AIIM 

TR31-1993–Performance Guidelines for the 

Legal Acceptance of Records Produced by 

Information Technology Systems.

Preparation staff are trained and required to 

use the utmost care in the handling of all 

client documents regardless of condition. 

The process of preparation and unitization 

will involve the removal of any binding 

elements (staples, paper clips, prong 

fasteners, metal slide clasps, etc.), and the 

substitution of target sheets in their place to 

facilitate indexing and reconstruction of 

documents after scanning. The EPA 

contractor will use a paper cutter to remove 

the spine from bound publications in 

preparation for scanning. Use of 

documented and established procedures, 

employee training, and supervision ensures 

that publications and other documents are 

not destroyed during the cutting operation. 

A highly efficient method of capturing 

metadata from document collection is the 

creation and use of target sheets. Specific 

metadata, such as document type, name, 

title, number, and date, will be captured 

from the shipping manifests and recorded in 

the target sheets. During a later stage in the 

processing workflow, the accuracy of the 
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index information captured on the target 

sheets will be verified by experienced 

indexers. 

After scanning and image inspection has 

been completed, reconstruction of the 

scanned documents is performed by 

removing the target sheets and other slip 

sheets and re-binding the documents to the 

original state and condition as when they 

were received. During document 

reconstruction, loose documents will be 

secured by multiple rubber bands or binder 

clips to prevent the documents from sliding 

out or shifting within the box during 

transportation. Line supervisors will inspect 

the reconstructed documents to ensure that 

no prepping target sheets are left behind in 

the collection and that fasteners have been 

replaced, where necessary. Supervision and 

quality control will ensure the integrity, 

order, and condition of the document 

collection prior to return to the EPA. 

1.3.3 DOCUMENT SCANNING

 

The EPA contractor performs document 

scanning in accordance with ANSI and 

AIIM electronic imaging standards to ensure 

readability and admissibility in court. These 

standards include ANSI/AIIM MS44-1988 

(R1993)–Recommended Practice for Quality 

Control of Image Scanners; ANSI/AIIM 

MS53-1993–Recommended Practice; File 

Format for Storage and Exchange of Image; 

Bi-Level Image File Format: Part 1; 

ANSI/AIIM TR19-1993–Electronic Imaging 

Display Devices (for selecting imaging 

devices); ANSI/AIIM TR26-1993–

Resolution as it Relates to Photographic and 

Electronic Imaging; and ANSI/AIIM TR38-

1996–Compilation of Test Targets for 

Document Imaging Systems. 

 

To ensure that the EPA receives the highest 

quality products and services, the EPA 

contractor will use the most current 

procedures and techniques to optimize the 

quality of the products of the scanning 

process. As part of the overall digital 

imaging quality control process, all of the 

EPA contractor’s scanning equipment will 

undergo regular calibration, testing, and 

maintenance by authorized manufacturer 

technicians. 

 

The EPA contractor’s scanning software has 

on-screen displays that enable the operator 

to make the image setting adjustments 

needed to optimize the scanner’s output. The 

scanner operator will be responsible for the 

initial image quality review. As each page is 

scanned and displayed on a 19-inch monitor, 

the scanner operator will examine it for 

quality and completeness. At this time, the 

scanner operator can catch and rectify 

quality issues such as misfed pages, poor 

image contrast, and incomplete images. By 

catching errors at this step, the scanner 

operator can adjust the scanner’s settings to 

respond to the changing document 

conditions and sizes, and then rescan the 
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documents immediately. During the 

scanning phase of a project, the scanning 

supervisor will remotely view random 

individual image files to check the quality of 

the scanner operator’s work. The EPA 

contractor’s scanning software used in 

document scanning assigns a unique, 

sequentially numbered file name to each 

imaged page as it is scanned, which 

becomes the identifier for the imaged page 

throughout the imaging process. Exhibit 2 

summarizes various scanning specification 

standards common to the industry. 

1.3.4 POST-SCANNING PROCESSING

The EPA contractor will process all scanned 

images through an image optimizer program 

running on dedicated image-enhancement 

servers. Imaging technicians will use the 

selectable functions of the program, such as 

black border cropping, de-skewing, rotation, 

Exhibit 2. Standard Scanning Specifications. 

SPECIFICATION STANDARD DESCRIPTION

File Format CCITT Group IV TIFF

TIFF format is standard in document imaging and 

document management systems. It is normally used 

with CCITT Group IV 2D compression, which 

supports black-and-white (also called bitonal or 

monochrome) images. In high-volume environments, 

documents are typically scanned in black and white 

(rather than color or grayscale) to conserve storage 

capacity. An average A4 scan produces 30 kilobytes 

(KB) of data at 200 ppi (pixels per inch resolution) 

and 50 KB of data at 300 ppi. 300 ppi is far more 

common than 200 ppi. Because TIFF format 

supports multiple pages, multi-page documents can 

be saved as single TIFF files rather than as a series 

of files for each scanned page.

Resolution 300 DPI

Image resolution refers to the spacing of pixels in an 

image and is measured in pixels per inch (ppi), which 

is commonly referred to as dots per inch, or dpi. The 

higher the resolution, the more pixels in the image. 

Higher resolution allows for more detail and subtle 

color transitions in an image. A printed image that 

has a low resolution may look pixelated or made up 

of small squares with jagged edges and without 

smoothness. 

Page Size 8.5" x 11"

Minimum auto-feed size is 2.1" x 2.9"; maximum 

auto-feed size is 11" x 17"; maximum flatbed size is 

11" x 17". Other larger-sized documents may be 

scanned or digitized using specializes large format 

scanning equipment.

Page Orientation Portrait or Landscape

Regular documents are captured in portrait mode. 

Other documents, such as spreadsheets, are 

captured landscape mode (Top-to-Top) so that they 

are readable without the need to rotate the image.
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de-speckling, automatic character repair, and 

line removal, to improve overall image 

quality. Image enhancement will make the 

images clearer for viewing, as well as 

provide a better source image for improved 

OCR accuracy. Image enhancement 

procedures do not change the informational 

content of the documents and are therefore 

in accordance with the ANSI/AIIM TR31-

1993–Performance Guidelines for the Legal 

Acceptance of Records Produced by 

Information Technology Systems. Control 

logs will be used to record the file names of 

all images that are enhanced to ensure legal 

admissibility. 

1.3.5 IMAGE INSPECTION AND QUALITY 

CONTROL

 

Following image enhancement, the images 

will undergo a visual quality control 

process by a trained and experienced quality 

control staff member checking the scanned 

images against the original documents. The 

operator will check for the proper 

orientation and overall quality of the image. 

The operator will also check the image size 

in relation to the original document and 

confirm that all pages were scanned in 

sequence and that no pages (either single- or 

double-sided) were skipped. The operators 

will perform corrective re-scan actions, 

where possible. Any images deemed of poor 

or marginal quality will be flagged for 

correction. In checking for the possibility of 

missed pages, operators are trained to look 

for tip-offs such as non-sequential 

pagination or a missing first page of a 

document. As the operators identify these 

errors, they will re-scan and replace and 

insert images, as necessary. For quality 

assurance, the supervisor will monitor the 

staff and take corrective action as required. 

The EPA contractor, in developing its image 

inspection and quality control plan, utilizes 

the standard ANSI/AIIM TR34-1996–

Sampling Procedures for Inspection by 

Attributes of Images in Electronic Image 

Management (EIM) and Micrographic 

Systems. 

1.3.6 DOCUMENT INDEXING (METADATA) 

 

Indexing of the metadata from the image 

collection is performed in the indexing 

module after image inspection. The data 

elements specified in the project 

requirements are captured using the target 

sheets during the document preparation 

phase described earlier. Document metadata, 

such as the EPA publication number, title, 

number of pages, and date created earlier in 

index files, will be presented in the indexing 

module for verification and correction. The 

original manifest data is used for validation. 

In the module, the index code representing 

each data element pertaining to a given 

image range is verified and flagged with the 

code. The EPA publication number, title, 
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number of pages, and year (in four-digit 

format) are thus assigned to the appropriate 

image ranges that make up a specific 

document. By comparing information 

available from the image of the document, 

the document indexers confirm the accuracy 

of the metadata. The number of images for 

each publication or document is pulled from 

the page-table database. 

1.3.7 IMAGE ENDORSEMENT

 

Even though the images will not be 

endorsed or stamped with any of the data 

elements, the EPA contractor’s endorsement 

software will generate an electronic file 

level index for each container of 

publications or documents. This crossreference file-level index will consist of the 

EPA publication number, Tagged Image File 

Format (TIFF) image filename, document 

metadata (document title, four-digit year, 

and number of pages), document break 

indicator, and the container name. 

After page numbering and indexing, a 

scanning supervisor will perform an 

electronic quality control check, which 

includes an automated document data check 

including number format and duplication 

check. Any errors discovered will be 

recorded in an electronic log file and noted 

on a quality control sheet, corrected, and 

then reviewed with the imaging supervisor, 

who will discuss them with the original 

indexer. 

1.3.8 IMAGE VOLUME STAGING

 

Following image endorsement, selected 

groups of image data files will be organized 

and staged for volume staging based on the 

specifications of the Document Imaging 

Work Order. Images will be grouped or 

aggregated by document, and, because best 

practice dictates that documents not span 

container boundaries, a container of 

documents will always be located on a 

single image volume. 

The Premaster process will produce a crossreference index file used for the tracking, 

location, storage, and retrieval of images. 

This index file may consist of the document 

number, title, page number, revision level, 

and date, as well as any other information 

specified in the Document Imaging Work 

Order. The index file may also be used to 

link the images to OCR, database records, or 

for loading to an image viewer application. 

1.4 OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION

The EPA contractor’s OCR processing 

software and workflow, based on state-ofthe-art software and technologies, will 

ensure the production and delivery of 

optimum-quality text files with the best 

interpretation of each original source 

material. 
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Previously scanned document digital image 

data will be converted to computer-readable 

ASCII text in the ZyLab format. The OCR 

volume version of a deliverable image 

volume will have a one-for-one image-toOCR text correlation in an identical 

directory structure. This procedure ensures 

the order, integrity, and accountability for all 

source material while delivering a one-forone image-to-text product. 

Preprocessing individual batches of images 

before full OCR production begins greatly 

improves the accuracy of recognition output. 

The preprocessing and image enhancement 

procedures do not change the informational 

content of the documents and are therefore 

in accordance with the ANSI/AIIM TR31-

1993–Performance Guidelines for the Legal 

Acceptance of Records Produced by 

Information Technology Systems. Control 

logs will be used to record the filenames of 

all enhanced images to ensure legal 

admissibility. 

1.5 CD/DVD CREATION

 

Once all the verifications are completed, 

output media (CD, DVD, or removable hard 

drive), compliant with ISO9660, will be 

produced from the premastered files. The 

output file format will be TIFF Group IV 

300 dpi single-page TIFF and their 

corresponding OCR text files, in the ZyLab 

format, unless otherwise requested. After 

CD/DVD creation, every image on each 

copy of the deliverable media will be 

checked programmatically for compression/ 

decompression errors, dots per square inch 

(DPI) resolution, and page size to ensure 

that all images were recorded correctly on 

the media and in accordance with the 

specifications on the work order. 

1.6 MEDIA DELIVERY QUALITY CONTROL

A final quality control check will be 

performed on all production deliverables 

before they are released for shipping. The 

work product will be cross-checked against 

the original files to ensure that the number 

of images and document records match the 

numbers indicated by the final scanning and 

image inspectionlogs and the database server.

In addition, the scanning supervisor will 

perform random quality checks on the final 

product before it is delivered. 

 Specified copies of the scanned images will 

be delivered including OCR text files and 

metadata on DVDs or other media specified. 

In addition to keeping backups of all images, 

the EPA contractor will store one copy of 

the delivered media to provide subsequent 

support services. 

1.7 SHIPPING MATERIALS BACK TO EPA

LIBRARIES

Upon completion of the scanning activities, 

the boxes of materials will be prepared for 

returning to EPA. Publications will be 
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inspected to ensure the documents have been 

properly secured with multiple rubber bands 

and/or binder clips. The manifest will then 

be reviewed to ensure the information 

accurately reflects what publications are in 

that box and then placed into the container 

as a packing slip. Any disparity will be 

reconciled. 

Cushioning material will be placed in the 

boxes to ensure the material is secure and 

will not move or shift during transport. This 

eliminates the possibility of any damage 

during transit. Upon notification that the 

scanned document media has been 

successfully loaded into the NSCEP Web 

site, boxes of publications will then be 

shipped back to the libraries or designated 

locations as specified by the EPA. 
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2. LOADING THE SCANNED IMAGES 

AND METADATA ON TO THE EPA

NEPIS WEB SITE

This section details the process used to 

prepare the scanned images and OCR data 

output for the EPA National Computer 

Center to upload to the NEPIS Web site. 

2.1 RESTORE DATA TO LOCAL PC

WORKSTATION AND INITIAL QC 

The data produced from the scanning and 

OCR operation is restored to a local 

workstation where quality control 

processing steps begin and additional 

manipulation is performed. The first step in 

this quality process is to sort through the 

data files to ensure that all documents are 

new to the system. 

2.2 EXPORTING DATA

Each document file is processed to 

reorganize the text and place text and 

images on a local Cincinnati server that is 

used to stage the information for the 

eventual transition to the EPA Internet 

public access server at the National 

Computer Center (NCC) in Research 

Triangle Park, North Carolina. This process 

is called exporting, and it integrates the new 

document file data with the cumulative 

collection of over 26,000 digitized 

documents files already in the national 

repository. 

A complete collection of EPA digitized 

document text, images, and metadata that 

can be displayed in its final form as it 

appears on the EPA Internet public access 

server is called an “index.” There are 

currently eight separate indexes based on 

publication year to increase the capacity of 

the system without reducing its 

performance. To accomplish this, the export 

process targets an intermediate index that 

serves as a workspace and distribution point. 

At this stage, document metadata is much 

more accessible and is checked to ensure 

completeness as another one of the quality 

control steps. Publication year data, for 

instance, will be added at this point if it is 

not already in place. 

2.3 RE-DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS TO 

INDEXES

The next processing step is to re-distribute 

the documents amongst the appropriate eight 

publication year range indexes that are part 

of the recent redesign effort implemented on 

the public access site. The process selects 

from the interim index based on the 

publication date year range into which the 

document fits. 
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2.4 HARDCOPY INDEX PROCESSING

The Monthly Hardcopy Document Title List 

is processed into a specific hardcopy system 

index (for hardcopy print mail orders), and 

metadata adjustments are made to the 

documents already in the new date range 

indexes to provide a cross correlation 

between documents that are available for 

hardcopy print mail orders and those 

available as digitized online page images. 

During this process, static content for pages

that indicate new documents available in

hardcopy print copies and the contents pages

for foreign language documents is created. 

2.5 PROCESS INDEXES TO BUILD 

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

Each of the nine index directories (the 

hardcopy index and the eight date range 

indexes) are then reprocessed by the ZyLab 

ZyImage software application to build the 

databases that enable the search of the text 

and its correlation to the associated images. 

The completed indexes are quality control 

spot checked to ensure that they are 

functioning properly with the new data. 

2.6 POST-PROCESSING – GENERATING 

STATIC CONTENT PAGES

With the completed update indexes in hand 

in Cincinnati, the next step is to post-process 

the indexes using custom software scripting 

to generate the static contents pages that is 

provided to enumerate all available online 

documents in addition to the dynamically 

served search content. 

2.7 PREPARE DATA TO SHIP TO THE EPA

NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTER

All of the digitized data files required to 

deploy the new documents to the NCC 

public access system are now available. 

Since the local development system and the 

public access system started with the same 

data, it is now possible, with each update, to 

compare the condition of the public system 

(the state of the development system 

immediately after shipping the last update) 

to the current state of the server to isolate 

those files that have changed or been added 

during the process. The identified files are 

harvested from their working directories and 

staged for shipping. 

The data is then once again posted to DVD 

format for shipment to the NCC for 

installation on the NCC Internet public 

access server at the earliest convenient date. 

Staff located at the NCC facility restore the 

data to the NEPIS public server. 

2.8 QA CHECKS FOR FUNCTIONALITY OF 

THE PUBLIC SERVER

After each update, the Web site will be 

checked to ensure full functionality and 
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document appearance and quality. Any 

issues will be reported and action 

coordinated between the EPA and 

contractors to resolve the problem. 

As detailed in section 1.7, only once the 

final quality control review has taken place 

will the collection of library materials be 

returned to the originating library or other 

EPA designated repository. 

Exhibit 3 presents a graphical description of 

the digitization process workflow described 

in section 2. Included in the workflow 

diagram are the five quality control steps 

taken to ensure quality processing and that a 

high-quality image is displayed on the 

NEPIS Web site. Section 6 offers an overall 

description of the NEPIS Web site. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

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Exhibit 3. Flowchart for Loading the Scanned Images and Metadata to the NEPIS Web Site. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

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3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN 

 CONTRACTORS 

The success of the EPA contractor’s process 

to digitize client material is dependent on 

the effective collaboration of the various 

units, staffs, and contractors involved in the 

entire processing workflow. The EPA 

contractor will ensure the compatibility of 

all system configurations, software versions, 

input, and output delivery formats. Initial 

testing of compatibility of inputs and outputs 

will be performed to ensure seamless, 

mistake-proof handoffs and the delivery of 

quality output. 

An initial batch of images and metadata will 

be delivered for uploading to the NEPIS 

public servers as validation of digitization 

process. The EPA contractor’s approach to 

quality requires verification that the 

practices, procedures, and processes that 

inject quality into project operations and 

work products are always performed to 

documented standards.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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4. STANDARDS AND EQUIPMENT 

Throughout the digitization processes 

described in sections 1 and 2, applicable 

industry standards will be adhered to at all 

times. Knowledge of and disciplined 

adherence to applicable standards is critical 

to completing digitization work with 

acceptable quality. Exhibit 4 describes the 

applicable standards for the EPA library 

collection digitization process. The chart 

identifies the standard, describes the 

standard and its use, and also cites the 

applicable ISO-related document. 

Exhibit 5 presents hardware and software 

applicable for the EPA Library digitization 

project. The chart breaks down the 

equipment and software by process step and 

presents product information. 

 

EPA-furnished hardware and software used 

to prepare the scanned image for loading 

onto the NEPIS Web site is described in 

Exhibit 6. The primary suite of tools used in 

this process is ZyLab, an industry leader in 

information access solutions, specifically 

software to use in capturing, archiving, 

searching, and support tools for the most 

common business-critical activities. ZyLab’s 

imaging platform applications have a unique 

combination of search technology, security, 

and business-focused, content management 

functionality. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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Exhibit 4. Industry Imaging Standards. 

STANDARD TITLE DESCRIPTION AND USE

ISO Related 

Document

ANSI/AIIM TR15-1997

Planning Considerations, Addressing 

Preparation of Documents for Image 

Capture

This report is indispensable for organizations considering 

image capture to convert existing record collections. The 

physical preparation of documents for image capturing 

systems is outlined in the planning considerations and 

described in a set of generic procedures. ISO 12652

ANSI/AIIM TR19-1993

Electronic Imaging Display Devices (for 

selecting imaging devices)

This technical report provides information on various 

aspects of EIM display technology when selecting a 

computer display for EIM applications.

ANSI/AIIM TR26-1993 

Resolution as it Relates to 

Photographic and Electronic Imaging

This in-depth discussion of resolution in imaging systems 

describes what the term "resolution" means to various 

photographic and electronic imaging resolution and applies 

it to the evaluation of photographic and electronic imaging 

products. ISO 14989

ANSI/AIIM TR31-:2-1993

Performance Guidelines for the Legal 

Acceptance of Records Produced by 

Information Technology Systems Part 

2: Acceptance by Government 

Agencies 

The guideline address laws enacted by government that 

affect personal or business recordkeeping practices and the 

provisions that require records to be kept available for audit 

or submission or establish the form of records.

ANSI/AIIM TR34-1996

Sampling Procedures for Inspection by 

Attributes of Images in Electronic 

Image Management (EIM) and 

Micrographic Systems 

This technical report contains procedures that may be used 

to select and apply sampling inspection plans to determine 

if a batch of electronic images meets specified quality 

guidelines.

ANSI/AIIM TR38-1996 

Compilation of Test Targets for 

Document Imaging Systems 

This technical report is a directory of the most commonly 

used test charts and test patterns used in document 

imaging applications; such as, electronic document 

imaging, facsimile, micrographics, or photocopying 

document imaging components. The directory includes 

information regarding the type of chart, its primary 

application, the characteristics tested, source, etc. ISO 11141

ANSI/AIIM MS44-1988 (R1993)

Recommended Practice for Quality 

Control of Image Scanners 

Adopted as a Federal Information Processing Standard 

(FIPS), MS44 provides procedures for the ongoing control 

of quality within an electronic image management (EIM) 

system from input to output. Regular use of these 

procedures should ensure that the established level of 

quality is maintained. ISO 216-1975

ANSI/AIIM MS52-1991 

Recommended Practice for the 

Requirements and Characteristics of 

Original Documents Intended for 

Optical Scanning 

This standard describes the physical characteristics of 

original documents which will facilitate scanning of the 

documents. It also identifies those characteristics that will 

make scanning difficult or impossible. Furthermore, this 

standard provides general recommendations for the design 

of documents in order to make those documents easier to 

process. ISO 10196

ANSI/AIIM MS53-1993 

Recommended Practice; File Format 

for Storage and Exchange of Image; BiLevel Image File Format: Part 1

This standard specifies a file format for the exchange of bilevel electronic images coded using CCITT 

Recommendations T.4 and T.6, (Group 3) plus bit-mapped 

images (having no compression). This standard puts into 

one standard, a self-contained file format for bi-level image 

file transfer in imaging environments.

ANSI/AIIM MS55-1994 

Recommended Practice for the 

Identification and Indexing of Page 

Components (Zones) for Automated 

Processing in an Electronic Image 

Management Environment (for Zone 

OCR quality control)

This document identifies a media- and applicationindependent document structure and indexing scheme that 

will allow necessary and sufficient description of document 

pages and zones (rectangular sub-areas) within a page. 

The document addresses the information required for 

automatic location of areas (zones) to be analyzed, 

enhanced, or compressed. Not applicable for EPA 

digitization. ZyLab OCR technology uses the coordinates 

within the image for character location and identification.

ISO 19005-1

Document Management-Electronic 

Document File Format for Long-Term 

Preservation-Part 1: Use of PDF 

(PDF/A)

PDF/A is suggested as a preferred format for page-oriented 

textual (or primarily textual) documents when layout and 

visual characteristics are more significant than logical 

structure. For PDFs based on page images digitized by 

scanning, the source images are considered the master 

format if available and PDFs created from those images 

may be optimized for access convenience. Not applicable 

for EPA digitization. Required delivery to EPA is TIFF 

images.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

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* Includes flat-bed capability.

Exhibit 5. Imaging Hardware and Software. 

pages/min resolution

Document Scanners

Use: Paper Scanning

Kodak i660 (black-and-white and color) 120 Up to 800 DPI

Fujitsu fi-4750C (black-and-white and color)* 90 Up to 800 DPI

Fujitsu M4097D* 90 Up to 600 DPI

Kodak 1500 50 Up to 600 DPI

Kodak 3520 90 Up to 600 DPI

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 1 GB RAM with 

MS Windows XP, Pentium 4 and 19" Monitor

Total

Workstations

Use: Image Inspection; Document Metadata QC and Verification

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.40 GHz, 1 GB RAM, with 

MS Windows XP, Pentium 4 and Dual 19" Monitors

EPA Contractor 

Proprietary

Unattended Backend Workstations

Use: Digital Image Enhancement, Endorsement, Staging, CD/DVD Burning

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 1 GB RAM, with 

MS Windows XP, Pentium 4

EPA Contractor 

Proprietary

OCR Processing

Use: Process Digital Image to OCR Text

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 1 GB RAM, with 

MS Windows XP, Pentium 4 1,050 16 ZyLab OCR and Index

PDF Capture

Use: Convert Digital Images to PDF Format

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 1 GB RAM, with 

MS Windows XP, Pentium 4 950 16

Adobe Acrobat Capture 

3.1 Unlimited Cluster 

License

Rated Speed and Resolution

EPA Contractor 

Proprietary

Equipment (Model) Description Software
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

September 24, 2007 

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Exhibit 6. NSCEP (NEPIS) ZyLab Imaging System Hardware and Software. 

Equipment Type Service Company

Dell PowerEdge 2650 Dell

Dell PowerEdge 2950 Dual Core Add-On Disk Storage Dell

Dell PowerEdge 2650 Dell

Dell PowerEdge 2950 Dual Core Add-On Disk Storage Dell

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 512K/533MHz, FSB with MS Windows 2000 Professional, Pentium 4 Dell

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 512K/533MHz, FSB with MS Windows 2000 Professional, Pentium 4 Dell

Dell PC - Optiplex GX270 2.80 GHz, 512K/533MHz, FSB with MS Windows 2000 Professional, Pentium 4 Dell

Fujitsu Color Scanner # 1-Model No.:fi-5750C Fujitsu

Fujitsu Color Scanner # 2-Model No.:fi-5750C Fujitsu

Fujitsu Color Scanner # 3-Model No.:fi-5750C Fujitsu

Fujitsu Color Scanner # 4-Model No.:fi-5750C Fujitsu

ZyIMAGE Enterprise Webserver License ZyLab NA

ZyALERT ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE v5 Basic License includes International OCR Engine ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Global Professional OCR Engine per CPU ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE v5 Workstation License ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Global Standard OCR Engine per CPU ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Application Integrator (ZAI) SW license ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE V5.0 XML Wrapper Module SW license ZyLab NA

ZyScan License (1 workstation) ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Global Professional OCR engine software for each CPU ZyLab NA

ZyScan License (1 workstation) ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Global Professional OCR engine software for each CPU ZyLab NA

ZyScan License (1 workstation) ZyLab NA

ZyIMAGE Global Professional OCR engine software for each CPU ZyLab NA

ZyLab Cluster PCs Used to Attach to Scanner for Creating TIFF Files (Housed in Computer Room 308A)

ZyLab Cluster PC Used to Attach to Scanner for Creating TIFF Files

ZyLab Software to Operate PC Used to Attach to Scanner #1 to OCR ZyLab TIFF Files

ZyLab Software to Operate PC Used to Attach to Scanner #2 to OCR ZyLab TIFF Files

ZyLab Software to Operate PC Used to Attach to Scanner #3 to OCR ZyLab TIFF Files

CA Unicenter Remote Software Packages (Installed on local and national NSCEP (NEPIS)/ZyLab PCs and servers.)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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5. QUALITY CONTROL/ 

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality assurance (QA) approach is not just 

a set of tools and processes, but a 

management philosophy where leaders are 

engaged at all phases of the quality process, 

ensuring project success. It provides the 

opportunity to continuously improve and 

streamline processes, to eliminate waste 

from the system, and to determine when 

peak performance has been achieved. The 

application of proven processes will benefit 

EPA by improving task management, endproduct quality, and significantly reducing 

overall project risk. 

5.1 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

The EPA contractor’s Quality Control Plan 

(QCP) developed and implemented for all 

programs identifies QA functions, quality 

control processes and measures, and overall 

QA program responsibilities in support of 

each project. The plan includes quality 

assurance and quality control procedures 

that ensure that all deliverables conform to 

specifications and client expectations. These 

procedures start with the definition of 

project performance requirements and 

include procedures and processes to ensure 

the quality of all work performed. This 

includes, but is not limited to, developing 

procedures, recruiting and training 

personnel, developing quality measurement 

methods, analyzing performance data, 

obtaining client feedback, and developing 

and implementing corrective/preventive 

actions. 

For the EPA Library Digitization project, 

the EPA contractor will review the QCP to 

ensure that our processes and compliance 

requirements are fully documented, 

understood, and implemented. The updated 

plan will provide focus on our customer 

feedback and guidance on continuous 

process improvement, thus allowing 

optimized service and product delivery to 

the EPA. 

5.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE 

IMPLEMENTATION

The EPA contractor’s approach to quality 

requires verification that the practices, 

procedures, and processes that we use to 

engineer quality into project operations and 

work products have been performed to 

documented standards. As part of our 

overall quality assurance, the EPA Library 

Digitization project will have a QA plan that 

includes conducting a series of in-process, 

multilevel, and multiphase reviews and 

audits that ensure ongoing high-quality 

service delivery and provide our 

management and processing teams with 

predictive data that can be used to identify 

potential quality risks. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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To ensure that all products and services 

delivered under the EPA Library 

Digitization project conform to the 

appropriate performance and industry 

standards, we will employ our QA processes 

as follows: 

• Schedule meetings for the project 

manager and the program quality 

assurance manager to define the scope, 

schedule, and budget for quality 

assurance with the Contracting Officer’s 

Technical Representative (COTR). 

• Develop the quality measurement 

method required to ensure that all 

performance requirements are met. 

• Train staff in the specific QA procedures 

required to perform QA activities for 

products/services in their area of 

expertise. 

• Perform QA activities in accordance 

with established EPA procedures and 

regulations. 

• Develop and implement an aggressive 

improvement plan to meet all customer 

requirements when a quality issue is 

identified. 

The EPA contractor brings a culture of 

quality and a relentless pursuit of operating 

excellence through the systematic use of 

proven best practices, industry standards, 

and continuous process improvement 

initiatives that will be leveraged to provide 

accurate, consistent, and timely information 

and products for the EPA Library 

Digitization project. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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6. CAPABILITIES AND FEATURES OF 

NSCEP WEB SITE

The visible end product of the digitization 

of EPA publications resides on the EPA’s 

National Environmental Publications 

Internet Site (NEPIS)/National Service 

Center for Environmental Publications 

(NSCEP) Web site. This site is intended to 

help users identify and order EPA products. 

More than 7,000 in-stock and 26,000 digital 

titles are available free of charge to search 

and retrieve, download, print, and/or order. 

The Web site URLs are: 

http://www.epa.gov/nscep/

http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/

http://nepis.epa.gov/

6.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The NEPIS Web site started back in 1995–

1996 with an initial scan effort of 

approximately 4,000 documents. By 2001, 

the site contained 7,000 titles. Between 2001 

and 2007, the site grew to about 11,000 titles 

consisting of about one million pages. 

About 18 months ago, the EPA migrated all 

of the Web site content to the ZyLab 

application currently active and running the 

site. 

Two forces have been at work shaping 

NEPIS over the last year. First, at the 

beginning of the year, a desire was 

expressed to create a "one-stop" location 

that would combine both the NSCEP hard 

copy shopping cart feature and NEPIS 

image and text retrieval services as seen by 

the public, thus minimizing navigation. The 

original concept was to accomplish this with 

a Web site restructuring. When a prototype 

was presented in March 2006 that 

demonstrated the desired functionality 

entirely within the new ZyLab-based 

service, this was selected as the preferred 

approach. 

The second force in play is the influx of 

EPA documents from regional libraries that, 

in the space of six months, has doubled the 

size of the repository to 26,000 titles 

(approximately 2.4 million pages). This 

spurred a recent reorganization of the data 

into multiple repositories sorted by 

publication date. While the shift to multiple 

indexes was temporarily disruptive (it 

changed document URLs), it was necessary 

to ensure sufficient growth capacity and 

continued high performance into the future. 

6.2 CAPABILITIES AND FEATURES

The following section details the capabilities 

and features of the current NEPIS/NSCEP 

Web site. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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6.2.1 NAVIGATION

The navigation menus and tools are 

consistent and clearly labeled throughout the 

site. The site offers a left-hand navigation 

bar that includes links to: basic information, 

simple search, customer survey, where you 

live, resource tools, related links, foreign 

language publications, and a site map. To 

further help the user with navigation, a 

breadcrumb trail (e.g., EPA Home > NSCEP

> Document Display) is displayed at the top 

of the page. This feature allows the user to 

follow their path in reverse order or jump 

back multiple pages. The site also uses 

consistent and clearly labeled headers and 

footers to further enhance navigability. The 

header displays a “Contact Us” link and a 

search of “All EPA” or “This Area.” The 

footer contains links to “EPA Home,” 

“Privacy and Security Notice,” and “Contact 

Us.” 

6.2.2 SEARCH TOOLS

Since the site is a publications database, the 

majority of the home page is devoted to 

searching for products. There are several 

tools to search the database, including: 

• Simple search. This search allows the 

user to enter keyword(s) and limit by 

date range(s) and/or if the publication is 

available in hard copy. 

• Advanced search. This robust search 

allows the user to enter keyword(s) and 

then limit or refine using any or all of 

eight parameters, including: 

1. How to look for it. This drop-down 

menu allows the user to use Boolean 

operators (i.e., and, or, not), search 

for all, any, or exact phrase within 

the keyword(s) field. 

2. Date document was added to the 

library. This drop-down menu allows 

the user to limit the search to today, 

yesterday, last week, last two weeks, 

last month, last three months, last six 

months, last year, and last two years. 

3. Results precision (fuzziness). A 

fuzzy search is a search capability 

that locates all occurrences of a 

word, including those that are 

“close” in spelling. This drop-down 

menu allows the user to select from 

one to four character difference or 

exact match. 

4. Select dates to search. These 

checkboxes allow the user to limit 

the search to a date range(s). 

5. Control which page will be viewed 

first. The radio buttons allow the 

user to either select “first page of 

document” or “first page found with 

matching search keyword(s).” 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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6. Choose the number of results to be 

displayed. This drop-down menu 

allows the user to view 10 (default), 

25, 50, or 100 search results on a 

page. 

7. Rank search results. There are two 

drop-down menus that allow the user 

to rank the search results by “hit 

density” or “number of hits” and in 

descending or ascending order. Hit 

density describes how a publication 

is judged more relevant if a large 

number of the total number of words 

in it are query words or related 

terms. Number of hits describes how 

many times the query word(s) are 

found in a publication. 

8. Choose what to display. The radio 

buttons allow the user to either select 

“page images” or “text format.” If 

the user selects “page images,” it can 

be refined to low, medium, or high 

quality; enlarged in size to 200 

percent, 280 percent, or 400 percent; 

or a TIFF. 

• Fields search. This search allows the 

user to enter query terms within the area 

defined as the field. The user can search 

by EPA publication number, title, 

source, page count, and publication year, 

and limit the search by some of the 

parameters that were described in the 

advanced search section. 

• Title lists. This search provides static 

lists of publications representing the 

complete inventory. Lists are ordered by 

publication number for the associated 

Office of origin: 

• 400 Series, Office of Air and 

Radiation. 

• 500 Series, Office of Solid Waste 

and Emergency Response. 

• 600 Series, Office of Research and 

Development. 

• 700 Series, Office of Prevention, 

Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 

• 800 Series, Office of Water. 

• All other designations. 

• The complete list. 

• New titles. This search allows the user to 

search a selection of newly received 

publications available to order or, in 

some instances, to view online. This list 

is updated monthly. 

6.2.3 SEARCH TECHNIQUES

The site allows for many search techniques 

that more advanced users employ in their 

queries, such as: 

• Wild cards. Wild card symbols added to 

content words create flexibility to search 

statements. Use wild cards to search for 

prefix, root, and suffix, and to find 

variations in spelling of a word. The 

NEPIS/NSCEP Web site uses two wild 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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card symbols: the question mark (?) and 

asterisk (*). The question mark replaces 

a single character (e.g., b?rn, retrieves 

born and barn and burn) and the asterisk 

replaces zero or more characters (e.g., 

*vert retrieves convert and revert.). 

• Boolean operators. The operators AND, 

OR, and NOT create a relationship 

between the query terms. AND signifies 

that all of the terms should be present. 

OR means that one of the terms should 

be present. And NOT states that the 

term(s) after it should not be present. 

• Positional operators. These operators 

identify either a required proximity 

between content words, or a content 

word’s proximity to other document 

elements. The WITHIN and PRECEDES 

operators help ensure that search terms 

are contextually related. 

• Number range operators. Users can 

search for numbers both as “terms” 

(alphanumeric character strings) and as 

numeric values. 

The following math operators can be 

used in number range searches: 

 

• < less than 

• < = less than or equal to 

• = equal to 

• < > not equal to 

• greater than 

• = greater than or equal to 

• Quorum operator. The quorum operator 

searches for a specified number of terms 

within a search query from one to all. 

• Separators. Separators limit a search to a 

physically defined range of a text file. In 

this sense, they are similar to proximity 

search statements. 

• EOG end of page

• EOL end of line

• EOP end of paragraph

• EOS end of sentence 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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6.2.4 SEARCH RESULTS

The term “search results” refers to the list of 

publications retrieved based on the 

parameters of the search. The search results 

list is initially sorted by hit density and 

includes the publication number, document 

title, date of publication, the number of 

pages in the publication, status (if it is 

viewable or not), and a shopping cart icon, if 

it is available to order in hard copy. 

Illustrated below is an example of the search 

results display. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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6.2.5 DOCUMENT DISPLAY

The site uses an icon bar that allows the user 

to move through a publication and through 

the search results. 

The document display lists information that 

is common in search results, such as a 

document counter, page counter, and direct 

page links. The document display also 

allows the user to zoom in and out on the 

publication, add to shopping cart, and 

download in several formats, including text, 

TIFF, and PDF. The document properties 

(e.g., hit density, rank, size, file name, etc.) 

can also be reached from this page by 

clicking on icon. 

The user can easily find their keyword(s) 

search in the publication since the term(s) 

are highlighted in yellow. By clicking on the 

“next hit” icon the user can 

automatically go to the next page containing 

the keyword(s) without having to skip over 

intervening pages that do not contain the 

keyword(s). Depicted below are the features 

of the document display. 
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6.2.6 NSCEP WEB SITE CUSTOMER 

SATISFACTION SURVEY

The NEPIS/NSCEP Web site utilizes a 

structured survey form to find out how well 

it is meeting the needs and expectations of 

its users. The survey results can be used be 

to make improvements to the site to better 

meet the needs of its users. The survey has 

been approved by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) (control number 2090-

0019). 

6.2.7 FOREIGN LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS

The NEPIS/NSCEP Web site offers a 

selection of publications translated into 18 

different languages, including: Arabic, 

Cambodian, Chinese, Chinese (Mandarin), 

French, German, Haitian (Creole), Hmong, 

Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Llocano, 

Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and 

Vietnamese. This dynamic list may change 

depending on the availability of foreign 

language publications available through 

NSCEP. 

6.2.8 RELATED LINKS

The site offers additional resources through 

its “Related Links” page to help users find 

the information for which they are 

searching, but did not find on the 

NEPIS/NSCEP Web site. The related links 

include: 

• Government Printing Office 

• National Technical Information Service 

• EPA Program Publications 

• Information Products Bulletin 

• Test Methods 

• Federal Register 

• Laws and Regulations 

6.2.9 SITE MAP

The site map is a hierarchical view listing all 

of the sections of the Web site. Each listing 

in the site map is a hyperlink to its 

respective area. 

6.2.10 RESOURCE TOOLS

The “Resource Tools” section provides links 

to tools that assist users to understand EPA 

information. The tools in this section are: 

• Frequent Questions. There are 17 

frequently asked questions and 

responses. Questions include: Is there a 

charge for my document?; Are 

documents available online?; and How 

do I order an EPA publication? 

• EPA Publications Numbering System. 

This table provides the alphanumeric 

codes and their corresponding definition. 

• Understanding EPA Terminology. This 

section provides two links that go 

outside of the NEPIS/NSCEP Web site 

that helps users understand terms, 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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acronyms, abbreviations, and the 

organizational structure of the EPA. 

• Frequent EPA Questions. This link takes 

users outside of the NEPIS/NSCEP Web 

site to the EPA site’s “Frequent 

Questions.” 

6.2.11 HELP

This section of the Web site describes and 

provides example of simple and advanced 

searches, as well as search techniques. This 

section also includes a description of the 

icon tool bar. 

The Web site is also equipped with 

Bandwidth Conservation so that search 

functions accommodate both broadband and 

dial-up users to conserve bandwidth. 

6.2.12 FUTURE

The site is being updated constantly. There 

is a pilot program currently in development 

that will enable PDF formats to be linked 

providing access to the publications in color. 

Additional features may be added as the 

pilot progresses. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Library Collections Digitization Process Report 

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CONCLUSION

Since 1998, the EPA contractor has scanned 

more than 30 million pages for a variety of 

clients. Some of the EPA contractor’s more 

notable projects have included: 

• 26.9 million pages scanned since 1998, 

including 14.5 million pages since 2002, 

for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) 

Office of Litigation Support Contracts 

Mega1 and Mega2. 

• 2.4 million pages scanned in 2002–2003 

for the Headwaters project (Civil 

Division). 

• More than 553,000 pages scanned to pdf 

format for the NASA Columbia 

Accident Investigation Board. 

• 1.31 million pages scanned for the 9/11 

Victims Compensation Fund 

adjudication effort in 2003. 

In addition, the EPA contractor has rendered 

OCR digital images on more than 12.9 

million pages since 1998. 

The large volume of documents processed 

by the EPA contractor has allowed team 

members at the EPA contractor’s Document 

Imaging Facility to obtain extensive 

professional expertise. To complement this 

hands-on experience, the managers and 

supervisors at the EPA contractor’s 

Document Imaging Facility have a 

combined 39 years experience in the 

document scanning and imaging services 

industry. And, to make the most of this 

professional experience, the EPA contractor 

equips its Document Imaging Facility with 

the latest technology resources. 

This report thoroughly describes the 

processes and procedures the EPA 

contractor employs to ensure the quality and 

integrity of scanned documents. From 

receipt of the document to final delivery, 

this proven process allows the EPA 

contractor to carefully track the progress and 

ensure the quality of each document. The 

end result is a near identical image of the 

printed document. In fact, the EPA 

contractor has delivered high-quality 

imaging products on time with Image CD 

acceptance rates consistently higher than 98 

percent since 2000. 

The EPA contractor believes that its 

experience and expertise, its commitment to 

producing and delivering high-quality 

imaging products and services on time, the 

emphasis on meeting critical customer 

values, and superior technical knowledge, 

capability, and responsiveness underscored 

by continuous process improvement 

initiatives will serve the EPA well.