Preserving Knowledge, Powering the Future: A Conversation with Patrick Fleming, Business Director, Digitization at Ninestars

At Ninestars, Patrick Fleming, former British Library director, award-winning journalist, and digital transformation leader, is helping shape the future of digitization. Drawing from decades at the intersection of culture, media, and technology, he reflects on how digitization is transforming libraries and archives: from fragile collections made searchable and accessible, to AI-powered discovery that redefines how we engage with history. For Fleming, the challenge is not just preserving knowledge but making it intelligent, ethical, and impactful for generations to come.

Over the last few months at Ninestars, Patrick Fleming has been bringing his deep expertise in archives, publishing, and digital transformation to shape our digitization practice. A former British Library director, award-winning journalist, CEO, and consultant, Patrick has spent his career at the intersection of culture, media, and technology. His experience leading transformational programs, from the British Newspaper Archive to large-scale library development initiatives, now informs how Ninestars approaches digitization in the age of AI.

        We sat down with Patrick to talk about how digitization is changing libraries, archives, and the very way we think about access to knowledge.

You’ve worked extensively with libraries and archives over the years. Tell us a little about the transformative shift you’ve witnessed in the move from physical to digital collections.

Technology and innovation has radically transformed library and archive collections. With AI we are entering the next stage of digital innovation.

Digitisation transforms archives and libraries by enhancing access to collections, ensuring preservation of fragile Items, and enabling digital preservation of born-digital materials.

I have been at the heart of this digital transformation at the British Library. The Library’s newspaper collection, possibly the greatest in the world. grows as a paper collection every day due to legal deposit. Enshrined In legislation legal deposit forces the Library to collect the hard copies of every published newspaper In the UK. Only 2% of the collection of over 180 kilometres of content was digitised when the Library introduced its transformative journey to store, preserve and give access to its newspaper collection.

The game changer for the Library was to find a partner who would provide the innovation required to digitise out of copyright newspapers. DC Thomson won a procurement to start the process and the British Newspaper Archive today has 95 million pages and continues to grow.

Has there been a huge change in how people use libraries today compared to when you started?

Libraries and digitisation specialists like Ninestars continue to evolve internationally. Digitisation has transformed researcher behaviour by providing instant access to vast amounts of material remotely, changing research from physical exploration  to online key word searching and data analysis. This shift enables large research questions, facilitates interdisciplinary approaches and poses challenges to the nature of libraries.

Researchers no longer sift through physical documents but rather read materials on screen. Powerful search facilities allow researchers to quickly locate information by searching for keywords across millions of documents. It was painstaking but often failed to capture nuance. A query like “climate change as reported In newspapers before 1988” could return thousands of results, not all of them relevant, now with AI driven digital archives the experiences changes completely. AI models understand context, semantics and intent, instead of matching words, they return answers. They summarise, highlight connections across decades and even suggest related themes. AI In digital libraries adds context, speed, and intelligence. Instead of static repositories, archives become dynamic, exploratory ecosystems as Ninestars are proving with best in-class digitisation transformations. Digitisation has fuelled the growth of digital humanities, creating new Interdisciplinary programs and fostering collaboration between researchers and archives.

How has digitisation changed the role of a librarian? What parts of the job have become easier, and which parts more complex?

Digitisation has transformed the librarians role from gatekeeper of physical collections to facilitator of digital access, shifting focus from preservation to curation and requiring new skills in technology, project management, and Information literacy. Librarians now manage digital resources, develop information literacy programs, teach users advanced search strategies and curate online content. They have become essential educators and technology experts In the digital age.

At Ninestars, we talk about preserving knowledge while making it intelligent and accessible. From your experience, what’s the biggest opportunity and challenges for organizations in embracing deep tech like AI?

AI presents huge opportunities for libraries to automate repetitive tasks, enhance user experience through personalised recommendations and Improved search, support collection development with data analysis, facilitate research with data management and text mining tools and relate dynamic content. Libraries can leverage AI to streamline workflows, optimise resources allocation, and offer accessible services like translation.

What’s one misconception about libraries that you wish more people understood?

Common misconceptions about libraries include:

  • They’re just for books. In reality, libraries also offer technology, music, programs, and services.

  • They’re always silent. Many function as vibrant community hubs with designated quiet zones.

  • Librarians just read all day. In fact, they manage diverse services, collections, and complex databases.

  • Libraries are irrelevant. On the contrary, they provide vital access to expensive databases, reliable internet, and digital literacy support.

Libraries today are dynamic community centers and social anchors, offering far more than print media. They provide learning opportunities, resources, and a safe haven for people of all ages.

What are some of the biggest trends and innovations you see for libraries on the horizon?

AI Is on every Librarian’s lips. Its full scope and International acceptance is still unknown. AI offers Insights for medicine, strategic planning and a host of industry wide uses.

And since we are talking about libraries and archives, is there a book that had a profound impact on you growing up?

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf had enormous Impact on me.

At Ninestars, Patrick’s experience reinforces our belief that preserving knowledge is only half the story. The real transformation lies in making it intelligent, accessible, and impactful for generations to come.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of digitization. Let’s talk at contactus@ninestars.in

The Role of AI in Enhancing Accessibility in Digital Libraries

As digital libraries expand their reach across the world, the mission is no longer just to digitize collections—it’s to make knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, language, or location. In 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a remarkably powerful enabler of inclusive access in digital libraries. 

Here’s how AI is transforming accessibility from a checkbox into a core design principle. 

Reimagining Accessibility in the Digital Age 

Historically, accessibility in libraries focused on physical access—ramps, large-print books, or audio formats. In the digital era, accessibility extends far beyond and now means: 

  • Navigating complex archives using screen readers 
  • Accessing content in multiple languages and formats 
  • Ensuring metadata and structure support discoverability for all users 
  • Creating a seamless experience for users with visual, cognitive, or mobility impairments 

Traditional digitization approaches often fail to address these needs comprehensively. This is where AI steps in. 

AI-Powered OCR: Making Text Truly Searchable 

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) has long been used to convert scanned documents into searchable text. However, conventional OCR tools struggle with poor print quality, handwritten content, or non-Latin scripts. 

Advanced AI-driven OCR, like the kind found in platforms such as AOTM, offers: 

  • High accuracy across 70+ global languages and scripts 
  • Support for right-to-left (RTL) languages and complex document layouts 
  • Improved recognition of handwritten manuscripts and poor quality texts 

For users relying on screen readers or text-based navigation, this level of precision ensures they can access content that would otherwise remain locked in image scans. 

Multilingual Translation and Transcription 

Language is often an invisible barrier in digital libraries. AI can remove it by: 

Automatically translating content into multiple languages 

Providing real-time transcriptions for audio or video archives 

Generating multilingual metadata to expand discoverability 

By doing so, AI not only breaks down geographic silos—it makes global heritage, research, and literature accessible to linguistically diverse audiences. 

Metadata Enrichment for Better Navigation 

Without strong metadata, even the most valuable documents can remain hidden in digital archives. 

AI tools now enable: 

  • Automatic tagging based on entity recognition and context 
  • Intelligent summarization for quicker content previews 
  • Classification based on genre, era, subject matter, or format 

This metadata isn’t just useful for general users—it’s crucial for those using assistive technologies who rely on structured navigation to understand content and context. 

Text-to-Speech and Audio Integration 

For visually impaired users, AI-powered text-to-speech (TTS) systems provide a lifeline to digital content. Today’s AI models can: 

  • Read scanned books aloud with human-like intonation 
  • Adjust pronunciation based on context (e.g., acronyms vs. abbreviations) 
  • Support regional accents and dialects in multiple languages 

This has opened up new ways for users to engage with archives—whether listening to historical texts or consuming academic papers on the go. 

Adaptive Interfaces and Personalization 

AI allows digital libraries to offer personalized, adaptive user experiences, such as: 

  • Interface adjustments for dyslexic users (e.g., font type, spacing) 
  • Content reflow and contrast enhancements for low-vision users 
  • Predictive search and smart filters based on user behaviour or learning preferences 

In essence, every user can experience a library that feels designed for them—not a one-size-fits-all platform. 

The Road Ahead: AI as an Equity Engine 

As digital libraries continue to grow, AI will play an essential role in: 

  • Democratizing access to knowledge across socio-economic divides 
  • Preserving cultural heritage in native scripts and languages 
  • Supporting inclusive education through accessible digital archives 

To achieve this, institutions must view accessibility not as a compliance metric, but as a foundational pillar of digital transformation. 

Scalable Accessibility Starts with Intelligent Digitization 

At Ninestars, accessibility is built into the foundation of digital transformation. 

 Our AI-driven solutions help digital libraries: 

  • Digitize complex documents with precision OCR
  • Automate multilingual tagging and smart classification
  • Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies
  • Scale accessibility across millions of pages—accurately and efficiently

Building a library for everyone?  Let’s talk about how Ninestars can help you make it possible.  Get in touch at contactus@ninestars.in.

From Braille to Bytes: Digitizing Resources for Visually Impaired Users

From the invention of Braille to the rise of audio recordings, the path to access has always been long for visually impaired readers. Today, digitization for accessibility is reshaping that journey, powering screen readers, text-to-speech, and adaptive formats that make knowledge truly usable. At the heart of this transformation are inclusive digital libraries, where AI ensures content is not just preserved but personalized and accessible to all.

Did you know Louis Braille was just 15 when he invented Braille, the tactile writing system for the visually impaired, in 1824? Despite its transformative impact, fewer than 10% of people who are blind and partially sighted can read Braille. With an estimated 2.2 billion people globally living with vision impairment and 36 millions of them blind, that leaves so many without access to written knowledge.

The Long Path to Access

For centuries, visually impaired readers relied on Braille or audio recordings, both transformative but limited. Braille production was slow and expensive, while audio materials were bulky and scarce. Access to knowledge remained inconsistent for many.

Digitization as a Turning Point

Digitization for accessibility became a game-changer. By scanning books, newspapers, and manuscripts, libraries began converting printed content into digital formats. That made it possible to create screen reader–friendly text, synthesize speech, and adapt documents for visually impaired users. This turning point laid the foundation for inclusive digital libraries. But digitization is only a part of the story. Formats like Accessibility EPUB have been pivotal in ensuring that eBooks themselves are designed to be inclusive. We’ve explored this in detail in our blog Making Digital Journals and Books Accessible with Accessibility EPUB.

AI: Expanding What’s Possible

If digitization was the first step, artificial intelligence has now made those digital archives smarter and more responsive:

  • AI in digital libraries powers OCR that can read faded, historical texts accurately.
  • AI-driven digital archives enrich metadata, tagging names, places, and themes automatically.
  • Natural Language Processing allows summarization and paraphrasing, making content easier to consume.
  • Text-to-speech and language translation open content to global audiences instantly.
  • Generative AI enables conversational search—ask a question, and the archive delivers synthesized answers.

Combined, these tools transform inclusive digital libraries into dynamic, personalized experiences for visually impaired users.

Real-World Change

Some national libraries are leading the way. For example, in India, digitizing Braille books and educational materials has improved accessibility dramatically. Schools and libraries now provide inclusive digital libraries that serve learners more inclusively.

At the same time, global platforms are ensuring that content isn’t just digitized but truly accessible, closing the gap between preservation and usability.

Ninestars’ Role in Shaping the Future

At Ninestars, we understand that accessibility is not an add-on, it must be built in. With decades of experience in digitization, we deliver AI-powered solutions that make collections both preserved and accessible. Our digitization solution ensures clean OCR, structured metadata, and output formats ready for assistive technologies. We help clients build inclusive digital libraries that serve everyone.

What’s Next for Accessibility?

The future of access lies in combining digitization with intelligence. Imagine asking an archive:

“How did people respond to the Great Exhibition in 1851?”

Instead of scanning dozens of pages, a visually impaired student could hear a summary with key documents cited. That’s what inclusive, AI-driven digital libraries enable.

The story of accessibility is ongoing. From Braille to digitization to accessible formats like EPUB, each step brings us closer to a future where everyone has equal access to knowledge. To dive deeper into the role of EPUB in shaping accessible publishing, see our blog Making Digital Journals and Books Accessible with Accessibility EPUB.

Want to know more about digitizing for accessibility? Drop us an email at contactus@ninestars.in

AI and Generative Search: The Next Leap for Digital Libraries

Digitization was only the first leap for libraries. The next frontier is AI and generative search — transforming static digital collections into living, intelligent archives. Instead of sifting through endless results, users can now experience contextual discovery, summarization, translation, and intuitive pathways that make knowledge more accessible than ever.

At Ninestars, we know this future is only possible with strong foundations. Having digitized over 20 national libraries worldwide, we combine scale with precision — from OCR and metadata enrichment to AI-driven workflows that unify global standards. For us, digitization and AI are not just about preservation, but participation — bringing cultural heritage to life for researchers, students, and readers everywhere.

The journey of knowledge preservation has always mirrored the evolution of technology. Stone tablets gave way to manuscripts. Manuscripts were replaced by the printing press. And now, in the digital age, information in libraries and archives are no longer limited by walls or shelves. The knowledge is accessible and searchable from wherever you are.

Digitization was the first leap. Millions of books, manuscripts, newspapers, documents, and photographs were scanned and stored in digital formats, ensuring their survival for future generations. But vast digital repositories alone are not enough if users cannot easily find or interact with them. This is where AI in digital libraries becomes the natural next step.

From Digitization to Intelligence

For decades, researchers relied on keyword-based search to navigate collections. It worked, but often failed to capture nuance. A query like “climate change as reported in newspapers before 1988” could return thousands of results, not all of them relevant.

With AI-driven digital archives, the experience changes completely. AI models understand context, semantics, and intent. Instead of matching words, they return answers. They summarize, highlight connections across decades, and even suggest related themes.

How AI is Transforming Digital Libraries

AI in digital libraries adds context, speed, and intelligence. Instead of static repositories, archives become dynamic, exploratory ecosystems.

  • Smart Search and Discovery: AI understands meaning, not just words. A researcher looking for “climate change coverage in 1970s newspapers” can find relevant articles even if the sources use different phrasing.
  • Contextual Understanding: OCR made text searchable, but AI can analyze themes, relationships, and sentiment over time.
  • Automated Metadata Enrichment: AI extracts names, places, and dates automatically, improving discoverability.
  • Language Accessibility: A 1910 French newspaper can be instantly translated for an English reader.
  • Personalized Research: AI guides users differently—a historian studying migration and a student learning about World War I will each get tailored paths through the same archive.

Generative Search: A Leap Beyond

If AI powers intelligence, generative search brings it to life. Unlike traditional search that lists documents, it creates synthesized answers.

Imagine asking:
“What was public sentiment about railways in 19th century Europe?”

Instead of making the user comb through hundreds of documents, AI-driven digital archives can summarize perspectives across sources and present a coherent narrative. Knowledge becomes conversational, not static.

The Next Step After Digitization

Digitization laid the foundation. Clean scans, OCR, article segmentation, and metadata enrichment make the application of AI feasible. Ninestars has deep expertise in these building blocks, perfected while working with leading institutions like the National Library of Australia and the Royal Danish Library. Large-scale programs, processing over 11 million pages in Australia and 32 million in Denmark, prove that scale and accuracy go hand in hand.

Once digitized, the libraries can prepare the collections for AI in digital libraries. Poor-quality scans or inconsistent metadata can limit the application of AI, which is why digitization and intelligence must go together.

How Ninestars Helps Libraries To Integrate AI Pre or Post Digitization

At Ninestars, we see digitization and AI as inseparable. Our Intelligent Automation Platform (IAP) already uses AI for OCR, metadata tagging, and automated quality checks. We are also building solutions that make archives AI-ready, including:

  • AI-enhanced OCR and content structuring
  • Metadata enrichment powered by machine learning
  • Cloud-native workflows ready for integration with generative search tools
  • Future-ready archives designed to adopt evolving technologies

For libraries and archives worldwide, the opportunity is clear: digitize today, and prepare for an AI-powered tomorrow.

What Generative AI Means for Users

For students, it means a shortcut to discovery—clear, contextual summaries instead of endless lists. For historians, it surfaces forgotten voices in millions of pages. For casual readers, it creates intuitive pathways through culture and history.

This is the true promise of AI in digital libraries: turning preserved knowledge into active discovery.

Challenges Along the Way

AI is not magic. Damaged documents, faded text, or unusual typefaces can complicate results. High-quality digitization remains critical. Another challenge is trust. Researchers need assurance that AI isn’t “hallucinating.” The best AI-driven digital archives always link back to original sources, ensuring transparency.

The Road Ahead

Generative AI is still in its early stages for libraries, but the potential is enormous. Imagine querying, “What were the public health measures during cholera outbreaks in the 19th century?” Instead of a list of documents, the system delivers a synthesized narrative with citations. Or asking, “How did jazz spread through Europe in the 1920s?” and instantly seeing a cultural timeline.

This is not science fiction—it is already beginning.

From Preservation to Possibility

Digital libraries began as preservation projects. They are now evolving into intelligent systems that not only safeguard knowledge but amplify it. AI in digital libraries and AI-driven digital archives are not replacing researchers or librarians; they are empowering them.

At Ninestars, we believe this is the natural next step after digitization. Libraries and archives that embrace AI today will define how future generations interact with history, culture, and knowledge. It’s time to act on integrating AI into library services and reassert the role libraries have historically played in building future-ready knowledge economies.

From Noise to Knowledge: How to Create Actionable Summaries from Long-Form Broadcast Content

In October 1947, the first televised U.S. presidential address reached millions of Americans in their living rooms, a feat that once seemed impossible. Cut to May 2025, streaming services in the US achieved a historic milestone by surpassing cable and broadcast television combined in total TV viewership (source: Nielsen report). It marks a significant shift in how audiences not just in the US, but around the world, consume video content. Today, a podcast episode can command more attention than a primetime news slot. And yet, in this content-saturated era, the problem isn’t access, it’s actionability. How do you extract meaning from the mass? More importantly, how do you transform that meaning into momentum?

For professionals in media monitoring, digital intelligence, or content transformation, this isn’t a rhetorical question—it’s a daily operational challenge. Whether you’re capturing executive keynotes, dissecting multi-hour webinars, or decoding panel discussions, one truth remains: most of the gold lies buried under hours of passive content. It’s not enough to transcribe. To drive real value, we need actionable summaries. These are not mere recaps. They are insight engines. They bridge the chasm between content and consequence.

So how do you move from spoken sprawl to structured significance? Let’s walk through the architecture of a truly actionable summary—one that doesn’t just distill, but directs.

Start with Strategic Intent: Know Why You’re Summarizing

Before diving into content, pause. This is where most teams go wrong—they jump straight into transcription or highlight-collection without asking the foundational question: Why are we summarizing this in the first place?
Every summary has an audience and a purpose. A senior executive scanning a Monday morning brief wants decisions and direction—not a blow-by-blow of who said what. A content strategist, by contrast, might be looking for reusable ideas, quotable sound bites, or narrative themes. A team lead could need a recap to align stakeholders or guide action. Each use case demands a different distillation lens.

Ask:
• Who is this summary for?
• What should the reader do with it?

Intent determines everything—from tone and structure to what you keep in and what you leave out. A public-facing summary might emphasize shareability and brand tone, while an internal one zeroes in on next steps, blockers, and outcomes. Without strategic intent, even the most accurate summary risks becoming noise.

Transcribe and Clean: Get to Usable Text, Not Just Text

Transcription is where it starts, not where it ends.

Tools like Descript, Otter.ai, Whisper, or Zoom’s built-in transcription features can get you the raw material. For domain-specific use cases—legal, pharma, AI—you might benefit from fine-tuned automatic speech recognition models. But regardless of the tool, raw transcripts are messy.

Your job is to clean them, not just read them. Remove filler words, false starts, and repetition. Strip out “umm,” “you know,” and mid-sentence corrections. Off-topic tangents? Gone. This isn’t censorship; it’s curation.

Highlight the essentials:
• Speaker names and roles
• Repeated keywords or themes
• Timestamps for high-value moments

Think of this step like cleaning raw data before analysis. You’re not interpreting yet—you’re simply preparing the ground.

Impose Structure: Segment Conversations into Idea Buckets

Long-form audio and video rarely follow a linear script. Speakers jump back and forth, circle around the same points, or interrupt each other. Your job is to restructure the chaos.

Avoid segmenting purely by timestamp. Instead, group by intent and theme:

• Problem framing
• Context or backstory
• Key insight or revelation
• Strategic decision
• Proposed solution
• Data or evidence
• Audience reactions or questions

This isn’t just an editorial exercise—it’s a cognitive map. Use color codes, tags, or markup to cluster these thematic zones. It’ll not only help with clarity, but also allow AI-assisted tools to better identify insight-rich zones in the future.

Mine the Gold: Extract and Discriminate Ruthlessly

Now comes the heavy lifting: insight extraction.

You’re not summarizing everything—you’re pulling out what matters. That includes:

• Data-backed insights
• Emerging patterns across speakers
• Strategic shifts or pivots
• Points of tension or conflict
• Memorable, quotable lines

But here’s the trap: not every “interesting” comment is actually useful. Run everything through a ruthless “So what?” filter.

Ask:
• Does this drive the narrative forward?
• Does it inform a decision, signal intent, or clarify direction?
• Is it share-worthy, actionable, or strategically relevant?

This is where domain knowledge becomes indispensable. Summarizing a legal panel? You need to understand regulatory nuance. Parsing a B2B AI discussion? Know what constitutes hype versus genuine signal. Without subject-matter understanding, even AI-generated summaries fall flat.

Synthesize, Don’t Just Summarize: Drive Toward Action

A great summary doesn’t merely replay what was said—it connects dots and charts next steps.

Instead of:
“Speaker A noted that email open rates are declining.”
Say:
“Speaker A reported a 40% YoY decline in email open rates, prompting a recommendation to reassess outbound channel strategy.”

Use language that implies action:
• “What this means is…”
• “The implication here is…”
• “Next steps should include…”

Highlight decisions, shifts in direction, and calls to action. Link insights to broader themes. Show how what was said translates into what needs to happen. This step is where summaries shift from passive archives to dynamic planning tools.

Design for the End User: Choose the Right Summary Format

The same content can and should look different depending on its audience.

Executive Brief

For internal use. Straight to the point.
• Title + Duration
• 3–5 line summary
• Bullet insights
• Action items
• Optional: timestamps or speakers

Narrative Blog Summary

For public-facing thought leadership

• Contextual hook
• Narrative arc (problem → insight → shift)
• Embedded quotes
• Key takeaways
• CTA or reflection

Social Carousel / LinkedIn Thread

For amplification
• One big idea per slide/post
• Supporting quote/stat
• Link to full content

Don’t force a one-size-fits-all. Build modular summaries that can be easily repurposed across formats. This increases both utility and reach.

Bring in the Bots—But Keep Humans in the Loop

AI can assist. But it can’t own your summary workflow.

Use tools to:
• Suggest summary structure
• Identify recurring themes
• Auto-generate highlight quotes
• Recommend formats

But always review and refine. AI doesn’t understand nuance, irony, or subtext the way a human editor does. Especially in high-stakes domains—finance, health, policy—you need human judgment to ensure accuracy, clarity, and relevance.

The ideal setup is human-in-the-loop: machines accelerate, humans refine.

Beyond the Summary: Seed a Repurposing Ecosystem

The biggest ROI of a well-crafted summary? Its reusability. Once structured, summaries can be:
• Snippets for internal newsletters
• Input for knowledge bases
• SEO blog material
• Slides for sales decks
• Talking points for execs
• Onboarding guides for new hires

A good summary isn’t an endpoint—it’s a starting point. Build a system where content can scale into multiple assets with minimal friction. This is how organizations stop wasting long-form content and start turning it into competitive advantage.

In Closing: You’re Not Just Summarizing. You’re Building Strategic Intelligence.

Summarizing long-form broadcast content isn’t clerical. It’s editorial. It’s strategic. Done well, it transforms passive conversations into active direction. You’re not shrinking content but sharpening its focus.

When this process is systematised, long-form content stops being a burden. It becomes a goldmine—fuelling decisions, informing content strategy, and giving teams the clarity to move forward.

In a world awash with noise, those who can extract signal, and turn it into action, will always have the edge.

Checklist: What to Look for in a Modern Artwork Automation Platform

In regulated industries, the label is your last line of defense—and your first impression.
Legacy tools can’t keep up with today’s compliance, speed, and scale demands. This checklist walks you through what truly defines a modern, intelligent artwork automation platform—from AI-powered proofing and regulatory enforcement to scalable global collaboration.
If you’re in pharma, CPG, or medical devices, this is the guide you can’t afford to skip.

In regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer packaged goods (CPG), packaging is not just design—it’s a critical function tied to safety, compliance, and reputation. One wrong label can result in recalls, regulatory action, or worse, patient harm. As global compliance demands and product portfolios grow more complex, legacy processes fall short. The need for automation is no longer a nice-to-have efficiency measure; it’s a competitive necessity.

This checklist breaks down what defines a modern, AI-powered artwork automation platform for packaging and labelling—and how to evaluate one that fits the rigorous needs of regulated markets that you operate in.

  1. Intelligent Proofing and Error Detection

Why it matters: Human oversight alone is no match for the volume and precision needed in regulated artwork production. Typos, colour mismatches, dieline errors, or outdated regulatory copy can sneak through even in high-functioning teams. The result? Costly recalls, compliance violations, and reputational damage.

What to look for:

  • AI-driven content comparison: Can the platform automatically compare the approved source file to the final artwork using OCR and image recognition? It should highlight text changes, font mismatches, and layout shifts.
  • Colour and dyeline validation: It must detect technical errors—wrong Pantone codes, placement deviations, or faulty barcodes.
  • Automated compliance flagging: The system should proactively catch potential compliance violations based on pre-set rules or regulatory templates.

Takeaway: Choose a platform that acts like a second set of eyes—faster, more accurate, and tireless.

  1. End-to-End Collaboration in a Unified Workspace

Why it matters: Labelling and artwork development involves multiple stakeholders – regulatory, marketing, legal, quality, packaging vendors. When teams rely on fragmented tools, email threads, or shared drives, version chaos is inevitable.

What to look for:

  • Role-based workflows: Ensure the platform allows tailored workflows for regulatory teams, marketers, legal reviewers, etc., with permissions and responsibilities clearly defined.
  • Real-time collaboration: Look for tools that support live annotations, comment threads, and simultaneous review—across geographies.
  • Audit trails and version history: Every change must be traceable, timestamped, and reversible. This is critical for both accountability and audit-readiness.

Takeaway: The platform should centralize all activities, eliminate confusion, and increase velocity without compromising control. A modern collaborative artwork review tool should bring structure and clarity across your labelling lifecycle.

  1. Built-In Regulatory Intelligence

Why it matters: In pharma and related industries, packaging isn’t just marketing – it’s a regulated deliverable. Labels vary by country, language, product strength, and therapeutic area. A modern artwork automation platform must be compliance-first, not design-first.

What to look for:

  • Country-specific rulesets: Can it support country-wise compliance logic and adapt to local regulatory updates?
  • Validation gates: Before a label is finalized, the system should run automated checks based on current compliance templates.
  • Audit-readiness: It must be easy to generate evidence of approval timelines, stakeholder inputs, and validations.

Takeaway: Choose a platform that doesn’t just facilitate compliance – it enforces it. Look for AI in regulatory packaging that delivers automated decision-making built on global requirements.

  1. Seamless Integration With Your Existing Stack

Why it matters: Most enterprises already have PLMs, ERPs, DAMs, and regulatory systems in place. An artwork platform must integrate rather than disrupt, ensuring seamless data flow across your digital supply chain.

What to look for:

  • APIs and connectors: Ensure compatibility with your existing systems—SAP, Oracle, Veeva, or custom tools.
  • Single source of truth: The platform should ingest approved data (like regulatory texts, product info, images) from master sources and apply it contextually.
  • Cloud-native infrastructure: For remote collaboration, scalability, and global deployment, cloud-based platforms offer resilience and flexibility.

Takeaway: A modern platform must fit into your digital ecosystem—not require a complete overhaul. Look for packaging compliance software that complements your infrastructure.

  1. Built to Scale Across Global Teams

Why it matters: As portfolios expand and teams operate across time zones, the system must work as well for a single product update in Germany as it does for a product launch spanning 15 markets.

What to look for:

  • Multi-language support: From Arabic to Mandarin, the platform must handle diverse scripts, right-to-left formatting, and local legal text.
  • Template reusability: Can components be reused or modified for different SKUs, geographies, or strengths—without starting from scratch?
  • Performance at scale: It must support thousands of SKUs and artworks without slowing down or failing.

Takeaway: Don’t just plan for today’s needs. Choose a platform that scales as your business expands—and supports comprehensive label lifecycle management.

PACKX Checks Every Box — and Then Some

Many platforms claim automation, but few deliver compliance-driven intelligence at scale. PACKX is purpose-built for industries where precision and regulation are non-negotiable, such as life sciences, CPG, and medical devices, PACKX offers:

  • AI-powered proofing and auto-validation
  • Compliance-led templates and workflows
  • Region-specific logic and approval routing
  • Seamless team collaboration with full traceability
  • Scalable infrastructure for enterprise-grade deployment
  • Integration-ready APIs to connect with your PLM, ERP, and regulatory stack

Whether you’re facing recurring artwork delays, regulatory pressure, or costly errors—PACKX brings clarity, speed, and trust to every label. It’s more than a tool; it’s a complete pharmaceutical label automation solution designed for the future.

Don’t Just Automate—Elevate Your Entire Labelling Ecosystem

In regulated industries, the label is your last line of defense—and your first consumer impression. A simple packaging error can trigger costly recalls, regulatory sanctions, or worse, risk patient safety.

A modern artwork automation platform isn’t just about digitizing steps or saving time. It’s about creating a connected, intelligent, and compliant labelling ecosystem that keeps pace with market complexity and regulatory change.

Ask yourself: Is your current platform protecting you—or exposing you?

Use this checklist to evaluate where you stand. Then, choose a platform partner who doesn’t just promise automation but delivers resilience, accuracy, and scale—like PACKX, the leading solution in Pharma artwork management and medical device labelling platforms.

Digital Preservation Challenges: Why METS and ALTO Are Essential for Large-Scale Archival Projects

Imagine discovering a centuries-old manuscript, brittle and broken at the edges. Now imagine being tasked to digitize and add it to your library’s collection—not just as a scanned image but as a fully searchable and preserved digital asset. That’s the kind of challenge libraries and archives worldwide face as they move from print to pixels.

These digital preservation initiatives are sometimes large scale, running into several years because it isn’t simply scanning. Without proper structuring, metadata, and text encoding, digital collections risk becoming unsearchable, unusable, or even obsolete. That’s where METS (Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard) and ALTO (Analyzed Layout and Text Object) come in.

The Scale of the Challenge: Libraries as Data Giants
Major libraries and archives house millions—sometimes hundreds of millions—of items, with ongoing digitization efforts processing thousands of pages daily. Large-scale projects require more than high-resolution scans—they need interoperability, structured metadata, and full-text accuracy for users to meaningfully engage with the content.

Here’s the problem:

  • A simple image-based digital archive lacks context. A TIFF scan of a rare book is just a picture unless it’s properly indexed.
  • Poor OCR (Optical Character Recognition) results mean users can’t search the text accurately—especially in historical or non-Latin scripts.
  • If metadata isn’t standardized, collections become data silos, limiting interoperability across institutions.

METS: Bringing Structure to Digital Archives

METS is like a blueprint for digital objects. Instead of just storing a document, METS binds together multiple components—images, OCR text, metadata, and structural relationships—ensuring that a digitized book or newspaper is more than just a stack of files.

Why METS Matters:
Structural Mapping – Defines the order of pages, chapters, or multi-volume works.
Preservation Metadata – Ensures long-term digital viability by tracking technical details and provenance.
Interoperability – Enables seamless exchange across repositories (Europeana, HathiTrust, DPLA, ProQuest, JSTOR).

Think of METS as a librarian’s guide for the digital world—a way to organize and ensure long-term usability of complex digitized collections.

Why ALTO is the Unsung Hero of Searchability

OCR alone isn’t enough. Standard OCR might extract text, but it loses layout details—crucial for newspapers, tables, and manuscripts. ALTO fixes that.

What ALTO Does Differently:

  • Retains Text Layout – Captures columns, footnotes, and even marginalia, making digitized newspapers or periodicals look like their physical counterparts.
  • Improves Search Accuracy – Maps text positions to original layouts, reducing OCR errors.
  • Supports Multilingual & Historical Texts – Handles complex scripts, Fraktur fonts, and even handwritten materials.

Example: As the Exclusive Partner for ProQuest’s Historical Newspapers Program (HNP) since 2001, we have digitized iconic publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many more. Using METS/ALTO, we have structured 28 million pages across 55 newspaper titles—some dating back to 1764—ensuring that every article, photograph, and advertisement is fully searchable and meticulously preserved. Our solutions not only safeguard history but also create revenue opportunities through content distribution and digital accessibility across tablets, smartphones, and emerging platforms.

Fun Fact: Digital Archives Are at Risk—Even Digital Ones!

Did you know that NASA lost the original high-resolution recordings of the 1969 moon landing? The tapes were overwritten due to poor archival practices. Digital doesn’t always mean permanent—without proper structuring (like METS/ALTO), even digital archives can disappear over time.

Future-Proofing Archives with METS & ALTO

In an era where digital libraries are growing exponentially, METS and ALTO are non-negotiable. They make sure that today’s digitization efforts remain accessible and meaningful for decades—even centuries—to come.

For libraries, archives, and cultural institutions, the choice is clear: Digitize, but do it right.

Ninestars: Bringing Structure to Digital Archives

At Ninestars, we go beyond digitization—we ensure archives are structured, searchable, and future-proof. Our solutions include AOTM OCR, indexing, and metadata enrichment to enhance content discoverability.

With METS, ALTO, MARC, and Dublin Core-compliant workflows, we’ve digitized 1.2 billion pages to date, making vast collections accessible across libraries, enterprises, and institutions. Our expertise spans subject- and keyword-based indexing, AI-powered OCR for handwritten texts, and contextual OCR in 71 languages for unmatched accuracy.

From national archives to rare manuscripts, we help organizations preserve history while unlocking new revenue and digital opportunities. Let’s talk.

Ninestars Joins Pharma Packaging & Labelling Forum 2025 to Showcase AI Artwork Automation

We’re thrilled to announce that Ninestars will be participating for the first time in the Pharma Packaging & Labelling Forum 2025, taking place on May 27-28 at the Mövenpick Hotel Basel, Switzerland. Our Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Mohan Doshi and Senior Vice President (SVP) of Creative Excellence, Life Sciences Chandra Shekar Gopal will be there to engage with industry peers, share valuable insights, and showcase how our cutting-edge AI platform is transforming packaging artwork processes.

Join us at Booth 21 to experience AOTM PACKX—our intelligent, AI-powered platform that automates packaging artwork creation, review, and regulatory compliance checks. Designed to accelerate product launches, reduce design costs, and ensure compliance, AOTM PACKX empowers pharmaceutical companies to move faster, scale efficiently, and minimize costly rework across global markets.

Why AOTM PACKX?

  • Accelerate product launches: Automate and streamline the entire artwork lifecycle to significantly shorten timelines.
  • Reduce design costs: Cut down manual errors and resource use for more efficient operations.
  • Stay compliant: Benefit from built-in regulatory checks and a GxP-ready framework that aligns to global standards.
  • Support global scale: Seamlessly manage multilingual proofing and digital comparisons for packaging needs worldwide.

With over 26 years of expertise in digital transformation, Ninestars combines deep industry knowledge with advanced AI technology. Our outcome-driven SaaS platform is built to help life sciences companies deliver faster, smarter, and more reliable packaging artwork.

We look forward to connecting with innovators and leaders shaping the future of pharmaceutical packaging.

Visit us at Booth 21 for live demos, meet our leadership team, and discover how AOTM PACKX can revolutionize your packaging and labelling operations.

Learn more about AOTM PACKX ahead of the event at https://aotm.ai/aotm-packx.

What We Learned at WAN2025: AI and the Future of Newsrooms

The World News Media Congress 2025 (WNMC25) in Kraków has officially concluded, leaving behind a wealth of insights that continue to shape how we view the intersection of journalism and technology. As proud sponsors of the event, Ninestars had the opportunity to engage with the brightest minds in media and technology, gaining invaluable perspectives that are driving the future of news.

The Congress highlighted a new wave of media transformation, driven by technological innovation, AI integration, and a renewed focus on providing real value to audiences. These advances are not just improving the quality and efficiency of news production but are also setting the stage for a media landscape where personalization, audience engagement, and ethical AI take centre stage.

AI and the Transformation of Newsrooms

A big theme of WNMC25 was the integration of AI in journalism, an undeniable trend that has moved beyond speculation and into action. AI is no longer a buzzword or a distant possibility; it is being embedded in the day-to-day operations of newsrooms worldwide. From editorial workflows to content creation, AI is playing an increasingly pivotal role in how stories are told and consumed.

One of the most profound insights from the Congress was the increasing reliance on Generative AI. Speakers shared real-world examples of how this technology is already streamlining content creation, improving productivity, and expanding audience reach. AI tools are now integral in supporting editorial decisions, from helping journalists gather data to automating repetitive tasks. The focus is clear: AI must be implemented in a way that enhances editorial workflows and maintains the values of trust and accuracy, which are the bedrock of quality journalism.

At Ninestars, we’re proud to align with this vision. Our AOTM Intelligent Automation Platform is designed to empower newsrooms with the speed and precision they need to process vast volumes of content. With AOTM OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and AOTM ICP (Intelligent Content Processing), we’re helping newsrooms handle information faster and more accurately, which ultimately allows them to focus on what matters: producing high-quality journalism.

AI’s Role in Personalized Journalism

Personalization is no longer just a luxury for newsrooms; it’s a necessity. As AI continues to evolve, it provides new opportunities to tailor content to the specific preferences and behaviours of individual readers. During the congress, the idea of audience-centric strategies was discussed in depth. News organizations are increasingly leveraging AI to deliver personalized experiences that engage readers at a deeper level. This means not just creating content that is relevant, but making sure it resonates at a personal level.

For example, AI-driven personalization is allowing publishers to adjust the content they provide based on data, whether it’s user behaviour, geographic location, or even social trends. Short-form content is also becoming more influential in reaching younger audiences, especially Gen Z, who demand quick, digestible news that fits into their daily lives.

Ninestars is fully committed to empowering publishers with these AI-driven personalization strategies. Our solutions help streamline content processing, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver deep insights that make it easier to engage audiences in meaningful ways.

Ethics, Trust, and the Future of Journalism

The conversations at WNMC25 weren’t just about technology; they also focused on the broader ethical implications of AI in journalism. As AI becomes more ingrained in newsrooms, ensuring that it supports the values of trust, transparency, and editorial independence is crucial. The term Authentic Intelligence emerged as a key theme, emphasizing the need for AI to be used responsibly in ways that bolster the integrity of journalism rather than undermine it.

Industry leaders like Ingrid Verschuren from Dow Jones and Tom Rubin from OpenAI highlighted the importance of grounding AI in strong ethical frameworks. They stressed that AI should empower journalists, not replace them, and that AI systems should be transparent, accountable, and aligned with the values of responsible journalism. These conversations were important in reminding us that as AI becomes more advanced, we must be vigilant in maintaining the trust of our audience.

At Ninestars, we are committed to developing AI solutions that respect these ethical considerations. Our platform is designed to automate and streamline processes while upholding the principles that make journalism a trusted source of information and perspectives. From responsible data usage to transparency in AI decision-making, we ensure that our technology supports the greater good of the industry.

Looking Ahead: A Smarter, More Efficient Future

As WNMC25 wrapped up, the focus was clear: The future of journalism will be defined by AI, but it’s how we use it that will determine its impact. AI is not just about efficiency; it’s about improving quality, enhancing the audience experience, and enabling news organizations to focus on what they do best: telling great stories.

As Ninestars continues to work alongside media companies, we are proud to be part of this transformation. We are actively building solutions that not only help publishers streamline their workflows but also foster stronger connections with their readers. The future of media is bright, and with AI as an enabler, newsrooms can rise to the challenge of staying relevant in an increasingly digital world.

The World News Media Congress 2025 was a powerful reminder of the importance of AI in shaping the future of journalism. From enhancing editorial workflows to creating personalized experiences, AI is helping newsrooms embrace the future while staying true to their core values. As the event concluded, it was clear that the momentum toward AI-driven innovation in media is only going to grow stronger.

We’re excited to continue our journey with the media industry, working hand-in-hand with publishers to build a smarter, more efficient future for journalism. Thank you to everyone who shared their insights and helped shape these important conversations. The journey has just begun, and at Ninestars, we are ready to continue making an impact.

TL;DR

Key Insights from WNMC 2025

  • Generative AI is revolutionizing content creation, enabling newsrooms to streamline processes, boost productivity, and improve engagement.
  • Personalized journalism is now a strategic necessity, with AI allowing publishers to create tailored content that resonates with individual audiences.
  • Ethical AI remains a focal point, with leaders emphasizing the need for AI to enhance, rather than replace, journalistic integrity and trust.
  • AI is already transforming newsrooms by enhancing editorial workflows and content creation.

Discover how Ninestars is helping newsrooms thrive in the digital age: Explore here

Ninestars at the World News Media Congress 2025: Shaping the Future of Journalism with AI-Powered Innovation

We are excited to announce that Ninestars Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd. will be participating in the World News Media Congress 2025, happening in Krakow, Poland from May 4-6, 2025! This premier event brings together the brightest minds from across the global media industry to explore new strategies, innovations, and solutions in journalism. As we prepare to showcase our AI-driven solutions at the Congress, we look forward to demonstrating how Ninestars is revolutionizing the future of newsrooms.

Why Ninestars is Here

The media landscape is evolving rapidly, and Ninestars is at the forefront of this transformation. With over 26 years of expertise in the media and publishing sector, we have always been committed to empowering organizations with intelligent, scalable, and future-proof solutions. At the World News Media Congress 2025, we aim to highlight how our AI-powered platforms and R&D capabilities are helping newsrooms stay ahead of the curve.

What We’re Showcasing

At our booth, we will showcase a comprehensive range of AI-driven solutions designed to address the unique challenges of modern journalism. Our offerings include:

AOTM OCR: Advanced AI-powered optical character recognition for transforming printed media into actionable data.

AOTM GPT: A generative AI engine tailored specifically for newsrooms, helping to accelerate content creation while maintaining editorial integrity.

AOTM ICP: Our Intelligent Content Processing platform that intelligently ingests, indexes, and processes diverse content types.

Archive Transformation and Monetization: Turning valuable archives into dynamic assets that drive contemporary storytelling and revenue generation.

Hyper-Personalized News: AI-powered personalization engines to tailor content and advertisements based on reader behavior.

Additionally, we will demonstrate our R&D capabilities, including advancements in Editorial AI Models, DSLMs, LLMs (Large Language Models), and Multimodal AI, as well as Computer Vision for media content analysis and enhancement.

What to Expect at the Congress

The World News Media Congress will feature three dynamic summits, deep-dive sessions into future media trends, and an exhibition space where industry leaders will share insights on technology and innovation. With social events and networking opportunities, it’s a perfect setting to engage with fellow professionals in the media and publishing world.

Ninestars is proud to be part of this exciting event, and we are eager to share how our AI-driven solutions can help news organizations optimize their workflows, create better content, and unlock new business opportunities.

Connect with Us

We invite you to visit our booth and engage with our experts as we demonstrate our latest solutions. Let’s discuss how we can help your newsroom stay ahead with AI-powered innovation.

We are excited to connect with industry leaders, journalists, and innovators in Krakow and contribute to the ongoing evolution of media.

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the World News Media Congress 2025. We look forward to seeing you there!

Explore how we can help you. Learn more here:
https://wan2025.ninestarsglobal.com