While many University libraries have fine collections, these resources are often available on a non-circulating basis, limiting the number of people who can use them at any given time. Thus, a source that can and should provide inspiration to many is limited to access by a few. As new technologies develop scholars have used these technologies to attempt to provide new and better ways to access these materials. Reproductions in books, prints and in slides extend the circulation of primary sources. However, these methods have serious limitations.
Reproductions are expensive, which limits their purchase by individuals and libraries.
Including images in a book is also expensive, which generally means that few images are chosen and many are cast aside. Slides are cumbersome and not very flexible to rearrange or to display. All these technologies also suffer from being available only on a limited basis, either to the few that have access to the book or reproduction or to the few who are present during the particular slide show. While we are not yet to the point of being able to produce lifelike three dimensional holographic images, recent developments in image technology have brought us closer to the goal of providing primary resources to many scholars easily and cost effectively. The World Wide Web provides an increasingly viable way to share those images with many scholars.