Work begins on scanning the historical archive to make it available to the public
- A specialist company will handle the one-by-one processing of thousands of documents, some of which are over 130 years old
- This involves more than 25,000 patient records, dozens of books containing clinical information and admission and death records, and other items
- The scanning process will be completed by the end of June
The historical archive at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu contains clinical and administrative documentation dating back to the late 19th century, with some documents over 130 years old. These are delicate documents, fragile books and bindings and very aged papers which have to be handled with care and caution to prevent damage to them.
To ensure their preservation, Parc Sanitari SJD management has embarked on a comprehensive project to scan the entire historical collection. It is being carried out by Gureak datapost, a firm with extensive experience in handling heritage documents and specialising in individualised document scanning.
A win-win for everyone
The scanning process will provide a comprehensive, structured inventory of all the documents which will be indexed in a Parc Sanitari SJD document archive. This will also make it easier for relatives, historians and researchers to access information while lessening the risk of damage to the documents, as the information can be viewed without having to handle the originals.
Scanning these documents will make available to the public (patients' families), researchers and historians 25,000 medical records, dozens of books containing clinical information, admission, discharge and death recordstogether with photographs and documents related to patients' stays at the former Sant Boi psychiatric hospital plus institutional and administrative certificates.
The scanning process
Scanning the historical archive is a painstaking process involving high-resolution open scanners, image capture without pressure on the documents and individualised handling of each book and file. This type of technology is essential to ensure high-quality digital conservation while also minimising the risk of physical damage during the process.
Parc Sanitari will harness artificial intelligence algorithms to compile and group together information at present scattered across various documents and folders, thereby ensuring access to complete information on each of the patients who have come through the facility. The scanning process isexpected to be completed by the end of June.
Protecting the originals
The places where the historical archive is currently kept are not equipped to conserve such old documents. So once the scanning has been complete, the originals of this historical heritage will be moved to a new venue where they can be conserved,under appropriate temperature, humidity and safety conditions.
