Development of an automated paper documents scanning technology for the Russian Meteorological Service

This paper considers the issues of long-term preservation, maintenance, and remote multi-user access to paper records in hydrometeorology and related fields (meteorology, hydrology, aerology, oceanology, agrometeorology, heliogeophysics, etc.). Such records contain the environment and pollution status data acquired by the Russian Meteorological Service. This information is not only of historical value but also of practical interest for the authorities and other consumers.
The paper presents an automated information technology (AIT) for scanning historical paper records. AIT has a multi-level architecture and performs the following: automated document tracking, data structuring, long-term storage, and remote access to digital copies of paper documents with an integrated search module of an automated information system (AIS). The AIT uses advanced software and hardware. The paper describes the entire process of paper records scanning and evaluates the results of the AIT pilot operation at the Russian National Research Institute for Hydrometeorological Information, World Data Center.