For Immediate Release
August 28, 2009

For more information, contact:
James Westoby, President, e-Image Data
262-673-3476 or jwestoby@e-imagedata.com

WORD-SEARCH FUNCTION FOR MICROFILM DEBUTED BY e-IMAGE DATA

HARTFORD, Wis. – e-Image Data debuted the beta version of its new WORD-Search™ technology at the American Library Association convention in Chicago in July. A new function for the popular ScanPro 2000, WORD-Search™ allows users to find selected words on any type of microform.

WORD-Search™ is the first software of its type to be developed for searching topics within microfilm documents. The ScanPro 2000 first scans the microfilm image viewed on the screen then analyzes the scan for word matches.

“The user enters the key words for the microfilm image of interest and clicks the WORD-Search™ button,” says James Westoby, president, e-Image Data. “The software then highlights any matches for the specified words, similar to the way Microsoft Word’s “find” function does for Word documents.”  The final result is the complete microfilm image on the viewing screen displaying the word matches.

“The ScanPro 2000 is widely used by libraries and researchers across the world and WORD-Search™ was developed as a response to customer feedback,” says Westoby. “Our customers can now easily search and locate birth, obituary, and marriage records as well as newspaper articles stored on microfilm.”

Millions of valuable documents, including rare source materials and government documents stored on microfilm, exist in libraries throughout the world. Librarians who tried the beta version of WORD-Search™ at the ALA show were excited about the possibilities.

“The university librarians that we talked with at ALA were very enthusiastic about WORD-Search™,” says Westoby. “Students could use the WORD-Search™ function for their research and would no longer have to read the entire page to find relevant entries. It will reduce enormously the amount of time they need to spend going through microfilm documents and also free up the machines for other users.”

WORD-Search™ also has the potential to be used by educators and libraries to locate and select content on microfilm to be made available online. “This software could revolutionize the way microfilm is used for research”, says Westoby. “It will open the door for a whole new level of accessibility and information sharing.”

E-Image Data received excellent feedback on the beta version of the software from the ALA attendees and we are refining its features in anticipation of a product launch before the end of the year. WORD-Search™ works with any ScanPro 2000 and pre-launch orders will be accepted beginning November 23. Call 800-251-2261 or e-mail jwestoby@e-imagedata.com for more information.

Based in Hartford, Wisconsin and founded in 1989, e-Image Data Corporation is an international manufacturer of microfilm scanning systems. Further information about e-Image Data Corporation can be found at www.e-imagedata.com