Category: Digitization

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.

Why OCR Accuracy Matters: The Cost of Mistakes

In the fast-paced digital world, where data is the backbone of decision-making, businesses increasingly rely on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to process and extract information from vast amounts of documents. OCR is considered one of the key enablers of digital transformation, enabling organizations to convert physical documents into accessible digital data.

However, not all OCR solutions are created equal. While basic OCR systems can help read and extract text from scanned documents, their accuracy can vary widely. The OCR accuracy impacts the overall quality of extracted data ans processes that depend on it, and ultimately the business’s bottom line.

Inaccurate OCR = Business Risk

Inaccurate document processing leads to errors in data, causing operational disruptions, increased costs, and damage to a company’s reputation. OCR accuracy matters, and here’s why the cost of mistakes can be significant:

  1. Financial Implications of OCR Errors

For many businesses, OCR errors aren’t just an inconvenience—they can translate into direct financial losses. Most organizations rely on automation platforms that include OCR as a foundational component to process financial documents, invoices, and contracts. However, if the OCR component is inaccurate, it can create cascading errors throughout the automated workflow.

Invoice Errors: Consider a scenario where a finance team uses an Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) system to process invoices. If the OCR layer misreads an invoice total, payment terms, or vendor information, the company could accidentally overpay or underpay. Worse still, missing key fields like taxes or early payment discounts can delay processing and impact cash flow.

Contract Misinterpretation: In legal workflows, OCR is often responsible for the first step—digitizing and extracting key terms. If inaccuracies occur here, they can carry through contract review tools or compliance checks, leading to flawed interpretations, legal exposure, or missed deadlines.

Operational Costs: Poor OCR accuracy increases the need for manual review and correction downstream. Even in sophisticated IDP workflows, time and resources must be diverted to catch and fix mistakes. This reduces productivity and weakens the ROI on automation initiatives.

  1. Customer Experience at Risk

The accuracy of OCR within automation workflows directly impacts how customers experience your services. An error introduced by OCR early in the document lifecycle can ripple into customer-facing processes—leading to delays, incorrect communication, or billing issues.

Invoice and Billing Issues: Customers receiving invoices generated from inaccurate OCR outputs may find incorrect totals, missing details, or wrong references. While the system may automate document generation, the quality of that automation depends heavily on the OCR’s ability to extract data correctly in the first place.

Delayed Service or Errors in Orders: In industries like retail or logistics, OCR powers the initial intake of forms, order sheets, or shipment requests. If the OCR component misinterprets these documents, it can lead to downstream automation triggering incorrect actions—like sending the wrong items, scheduling delays, or duplicating orders.

A flawed OCR layer in your automation stack may be invisible to customers, but its effects certainly aren’t. Inaccuracies erode trust, delay service, and ultimately harm customer retention.

  1. Legal and Compliance Risks

In highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal services, accuracy in document automation isn’t optional—it’s a matter of compliance. OCR plays a foundational role in these workflows, powering data extraction for systems that manage tax records, patient files, and contracts. If OCR introduces errors early in the automation pipeline, the consequences can be legally and financially severe.

Healthcare Compliance: In healthcare, OCR is used within automation platforms to extract patient data from forms, insurance documents, and medical records. Any error at the OCR stage can lead to incorrect or incomplete data flowing into electronic health record (EHR) systems. This could trigger HIPAA violations, impact patient care, or erode trust.

Financial Reporting: In the financial sector, OCR is often the first step in processing documents like tax returns, compliance filings, and audit reports. An inaccurate OCR output can corrupt downstream data analytics and reporting tools—leading to compliance breaches, audit flags, or regulatory penalties. In high-stakes environments, even a single field misread can cause substantial risk.

  1. Reduced Efficiency and Increased Error Propagation

OCR technology streamlines operations by reducing manual data entry. But when OCR accuracy is poor, it does the opposite—creating bottlenecks and increasing the likelihood of error propagation throughout your automated systems.

Manual Interventions: When an OCR engine misinterprets content, teams often have to manually verify and correct outputs within the broader automation flow. This manual intervention defeats the purpose of deploying automation in the first place and slows down processing times, reducing overall ROI.

Cascading Errors in Integrated Systems: Inaccurate OCR doesn’t just cause isolated issues—it affects every downstream system that relies on its output. For example, if OCR misreads a figure in an invoice, that faulty data could influence accounting entries, tax computations, and audit readiness. The more deeply integrated your systems are, the more widespread the impact of a single OCR error becomes.

  1. The Importance of Choosing an Accurate OCR Solution

To avoid the aforementioned risks, it’s crucial to choose an OCR solution that provides high levels of accuracy. While standard OCR technology can help with basic text recognition, it’s often limited in its capabilities to handle complex documents or ambiguous data. It’s vital to look for an OCR system that incorporates advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, like AOTM OCR, that can:

  • Adapt to Complex Documents: Recognize text in multi-page documents, complex layouts, and even handwritten notes.
  • Understand Context: Provide deeper contextual understanding to accurately extract and categorize data.
  • Automatically Correct Errors: Use AI to detect and correct errors in real-time, improving overall accuracy.
  • Process Multiple Languages: Offer multi-language support to extract data from documents in different languages with high precision.

By implementing an advanced OCR solution with AI-powered capabilities, businesses can ensure that their document processing is as accurate, efficient, and error-free as possible.

The Cost of Mistakes vs. The Value of Accuracy

OCR mistakes may seem minor at first, but their ripple effects can impact a business in many ways: from financial losses and customer dissatisfaction to legal liabilities and operational inefficiencies.

In today’s business environment, where data is gold, OCR is a critical component of automation and digital transformation. But the true value of OCR technology isn’t just in its ability to extract text—it’s in how accurately it does so. Choosing the right OCR system, like AOTM OCR, ensures that businesses extract, process, and utilize data with maximum precision, minimal errors, and greater efficiency.

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.

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

The Future of News: How Technology Will Define the Next Chapter for Publishers

As we prepare to join the conversation at World News Media Congress 2025 at Krakow next week, we dove deep into two reports setting the agenda for global publishing — Innovation in News Media World Report 2024–2025 by Innovation Media Consulting Group and WAN-IFRA’s own World Press Trends Outlook 2024–2025.

While these reports capture industry-wide shifts, we examined them through a sharper lens—the accelerating role of technology and AI in defining the next era of journalism. 

Here’s our technology-first take on what it means and where publishers must go next.

The Industry Shift: Print Is Shrinking, Trust Still Matters 

Global newspaper circulation has halved over the past decade. Ad revenue continues migrating to digital giants. Yet one constant remains: audiences still crave credible, local, in-depth journalism — they’re simply consuming it differently. 

As platforms like Grok, DeepSeek, and a growing roster of AI disruptors reshape information ecosystems, publishers must ask:
If the audience has changed, why haven’t we? 

Strategy 1: From Print Products to Platform Ecosystems 

Leading publishers are moving from newspaper-as-product to news-as-a-service. They are building interconnected ecosystems—responsive websites, audio integration, video explainers, newsletters, podcasts—all feeding into personalized user journeys. 

Case in point: The South China Morning Post revamped itself into a subscription-first digital platform, achieving a 32% YoY growth in digital subscriptions in early 2025. 

At the heart of this evolution? Data, personalization, and multi-format storytelling. 

Strategy 2: Intelligent Archiving: Unlocking New Revenue Streams 

Newsrooms sit on decades, sometimes centuries, of invaluable content. AI-led digitization is transforming archives into dynamic, monetizable assets.

We see publishers adopting: 

  • OCR, NLP, and AI tagging to make archives searchable and accessible 
  • New subscription products for researchers, schools, and history enthusiasts 
  • Repurposed archival content for documentaries, timelines, and “On This Day” features 

Insight: Digitized archives boosted SEO traffic by 15–20% between 2020–2024, and this is just the beginning. 

Strategy 3: AI for Newsroom Efficiency and Personalization 

AI is no longer theoretical — it’s practical, operational, and indispensable.
Smart newsrooms in 2025 are deploying AI for: 

  • Automated tagging and summarization to accelerate publishing 
  • Predictive analytics to deliver more relevant, engaging stories 
  • AI-assisted live reporting for financial results, elections, and sports 
  • Multilingual content generation to expand global reach 

In a landscape dominated by rapid news cycles and AI aggregators, intelligent automation isn’t a luxury — it’s survival. 

Strategy 4: Going Hyperlocal and Winning 

While global news is increasingly commoditized, trust and proximity are premium currencies.

Savvy publishers are: 

  • Launching hyperlocal editions for districts, cities, and even neighbourhoods 
  • Partnering with libraries and NGOs to syndicate trusted content 
  • Building exclusive investigative verticals with subscription access 

Trend to watch: In several markets, local news subscriptions are now outpacing national ones. 

Strategy 5: New Monetization Models: Beyond Ads 

The ad-supported model is losing steam but reader-supported journalism is accelerating. 

Publishers are exploring: 

  • Metered paywalls balanced with sampling strategies 
  • Micro-payments for one-off article access 
  • Reader memberships with value-adds like exclusive newsletters, Q&As, and events 
  • Strategic bundling with OTT, e-learning, or other services 

Key lesson: In 2025, trustworthy content is a premium experience and audiences are willing to pay for it. 

Strategy 6: Talent and Infrastructure for a Digital-First Future 

Tech adoption alone isn’t enough.
Publishers must invest in people and platforms simultaneously. 

This means: 

  • Upskilling journalists in multimedia storytelling, analytics, and AI tools 
  • Hiring data journalists, podcast producers, and UX designers 
  • Building CMS platforms that are content-creation, distribution, and analytics hubs all-in-one 

The Bigger Payoff: Reclaiming Influence 

Digitized, intelligent newsrooms are not just surviving; they are redefining their societal role: 

  • Guardians of truth in a fragmented information economy 
  • Community anchors spotlighting hyperlocal issues 
  • Multimedia educators driving informed citizenship 

Future-Proofing with Intelligent Automation 

At Ninestars, we don’t just digitize — we help news organizations reimagine journalism itself.

From custom AI R&D that shapes newsroom-first solutions, to generative engines built with an editorial backbone, to platforms that turn archives into living assets, we bring technology, language intelligence, and audience insights together to fuel sustainable growth.

Whether it’s empowering investigative depth, driving hyper-personalization, or unlocking new revenue streams, we build the invisible infrastructure that future-proofs newsrooms for the AI era — with context, credibility, and creativity at the core.

Future-proof your newsroom with AI-powered solutions— reach out to our experts today.  

AOTM OCR vs. Traditional OCR: A Head-to-Head Comparison

OCR is the silent magic behind digitizing documents, but traditional OCR has its limits. Enter AOTM OCR—AI-powered, multilingual, and built for complex layouts. From blurry scans to handwritten text, AOTM OCR ensures precision where traditional OCR stumbles. Smarter, faster, and adaptable, it’s the future of document processing.

There are some technical terms we casually drop in conversations or project discussions without fully appreciating the brilliance behind them— Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is one such term. It might sound like a technical jargon that only tech enthusiasts or data processing experts throw around but OCR is, in fact, the silent magic behind numerous activities, like scanning receipts, digitizing analogue archives, or even auto-filling information on forms.

Think of OCR as the unsung hero, the bridge that connects physical ink on paper to the digital realm. OCR converts the static, inaccessible printed assets into an editable, searchable digital format. With OCR, content in analogue formats come to life as accessible, searchable and editable assets, perfectly aligned with today’s digital world.

The origins of OCR trace back to the late 1920s—before modern computers were even a concept! In 1929, German engineer Gustav Tauschek developed the first OCR machine. While its capabilities were limited, this invention set the stage for a digitization revolution that would follow decades later. Here’s a fun tidbit: OCR technology played a role during World War II, assisting blind veterans in reading their mail. Ray Kurzweil’s innovations in OCR, especially those aimed at reading text aloud, were initially created to support the visually impaired.

The journey of OCR: From mechanical eyes to AI-powered engines

 The story of OCR’s evolution is nothing short of fascinating. In the 1950s used by institutions like the U.S. Postal Service and IBM for automated mail sorting and check processing, OCR was a mechanical innovation. In the 1970s, Ray Kurzweil, a futurist and inventor, created the first omni-font OCR system, which could read text in any typeface. This was a major breakthrough!

Over the decades, OCR technology steadily improved, driven by innovators and major tech players. Companies like ABBYY, Adobe, and Google have been leading the charge, turning OCR from a niche technology into a widespread tool used in banking, healthcare, law, education, etc. Today, tools like ABBYY FineReader and Tesseract are everyday staples in content digitization.

But as remarkable as traditional OCR has been, new technologies are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Enter AOTM OCR, the AI-powered OCR that is redefining document recognition.

AOTM OCR vs. Traditional OCR: What’s the Difference?

The key difference between traditional OCR and AOTM OCR lies in the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, making AOTM OCR a game-changer especially when extracting data from low-quality or damaged documents. But let’s break down their differences in a head-to-head comparison:

Traditional OCR: Tried, Tested, But Limited

Traditional OCR has been reliable for years, especially for digitizing books, simple forms, and converting typed or printed documents into searchable formats. However, it has some limitations:

  • Accuracy issues: When handling complex documents, handwritten texts, or blurry fonts, traditional OCR struggles to maintain high accuracy.
  • Limited language support: While it works well with Latin-based languages, it often falters with scripts like non-Latin characters or Indic languages.
  • Rigid data extraction: Traditional OCR systems are relatively inflexible, making it difficult to accurately extract complex data like tables or structured fields.
  • Inconsistent table recognition: Extracting content from tables or structured data is a challenge, often leading to inaccuracies.

AOTM OCR: AI-Powered Document Processing

AOTM OCR uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance accuracy and adaptability. Here’s how AOTM OCR stands out:

  • Multi-language mastery: AOTM OCR supports 70+ languages, including Indic languages. This makes it a versatile tool for global companies dealing with multi-lingual documentation.
  • Holistic detection strategy: AOTM OCR doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Its AI-powered holistic detection adapts to specific industries—whether it’s healthcare, finance, or legal—ensuring accurate data extraction tailored to the domain.
  • Partial character detection and auto-correction: In older or damaged documents, some characters may be smudged or incomplete. While traditional OCR systems often fail to recognize these, AOTM OCR’s AI engine intelligently predicts and fills in missing characters, providing much higher accuracy.
  • Advanced table detection and content segmentation: AOTM OCR excels with advanced algorithms designed to detect and segment content accurately. Whether it’s legal documents, medical records, or financial reports, AOTM OCR ensures precision where traditional OCR stumbles.
  • Robust segmentation and AI recognition: Powered by AI, AOTM OCR excels in recognizing text across diverse formats, even with complex fonts, unstructured layouts, or scanned documents with mixed content. The system is built to handle what traditional OCR often can’t.

Traditional OCR: still relevant but lagging behind

To give traditional OCR its due credit, it’s still an efficient tool. Here’s where it continues to perform well:

  • Basic text recognition: Traditional OCR handles clean, typed documents fairly well, making it a good option for scanning books or printed invoices.
  • Cost-effective for basic needs: If your document processing needs are basic and don’t require complex extractions, traditional OCR remains an affordable option.

But when it comes to more complex scenarios—think handling handwritten forms with varying legibility, processing documents that feature a mix of fonts and styles, or tackling multi-lingual texts—traditional OCR begins to falter. This is especially true in specific domains, such as the complexities of legal documents with diverse layouts, the multilingual nature of international contracts, etc., where precision and adaptability are crucial. In contrast, AOTM OCR is built to thrive in these challenging environments.

AOTM OCR vs. Traditional OCR: A Feature Comparison

Feature AOTM OCR Traditional OCR
Accuracy Superior AI-powered precision Decent but struggles with complexity, especially in low-quality documents
Language Support 70+ languages including Indic Largely limited to Latin-based languages
Table Detection Advanced and accurate Inconsistent
Partial Character Detection AI-driven, auto-correction Often misses or misreads characters
Domain-Specific Customization Tailored to industries like healthcare, finance, etc. Generic, not domain-specific
Deployment SDK, Cloud SaaS, API Limited to standalone installation

AOTM OCR is the Future of Document Processing

As businesses move toward more complex, data-driven operations, the limitations of traditional OCR are becoming clear. While traditional OCR still holds value for basic tasks, AOTM OCR offers the advanced AI-powered capabilities that modern enterprises need.

For those wanting unparalleled efficiency and accuracy in their document workflows, AOTM OCR represents the next big leap in OCR technology, outclassing its traditional counterparts and setting a new standard for document processing.

We hope this information has sparked your interest in the potential of AOTM OCR. If you’re ready to enhance your document processing, reach out to us at Ninestars. Let’s explore how AOTM OCR can make a difference for your business!

 

 

 

Preserving History: The Role of Digitization in Archiving Rare Manuscripts

History is the thread that connects humanity to its roots. The manuscripts of yesterday tell the stories of who we are today. Rare manuscripts, ancient texts, and historical documents serve as portals to our past, narrating stories of civilizations, cultures, and revolutions. These fragile artifacts are invaluable, but they face threats like decay, wear and tear, natural disasters, and even theft.

Enter digitization: a transformative solution reshaping how we preserve and access these treasures.

Digitization, at its core, is the process of converting physical manuscripts and documents into digital formats, making them accessible, searchable, and safer for long-term preservation. It’s a crucial step toward safeguarding irreplaceable historical records while simultaneously opening them up for a wider audience, especially researchers, students and history enthusiasts, to explore.

The Importance of Rare Manuscripts

Rare manuscripts hold more than just information; they embody cultural heritage, artistic expression, and historical references. These texts often include handwritten annotations, unique illustrations, and materials that reflect the time and place of their creation. Examples include:

Religious Texts: The Dead Sea Scrolls, Quranic manuscripts, illuminated Bibles, and palm-leaf manuscripts from India, such as the Rigveda and Jain Agamas.
Scientific Breakthroughs: Original works by Galileo, Copernicus, Newton, and India’s ancient treatises on mathematics and astronomy such as Aryabhata’s Aryabhatiya and Brahmagupta’s works.
Cultural Milestones: The Gutenberg Bible, Shakespearean folios, India’s illustrated manuscripts like the Akbarnama from the Mughal era, and rare documents preserved in the Delhi Archives and National Archives of India.
European Legacy: Illuminated medieval manuscripts, works from Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex, and original parchments of the Magna Carta.

Preserving these artifacts is critical not only for scholars and historians but also for fostering a global appreciation of shared heritage.

Challenges in Preservation

Despite their importance, rare manuscripts are vulnerable to certain threats:

Physical Deterioration: Materials like parchment and paper degrade over time due to environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and light exposure.

Natural Disasters: Fires, floods, and earthquakes have destroyed countless archival material.

Human Risks: Theft, war, vandalism, and mishandling remain significant threats.

Access Challenges: Many manuscripts are housed in secure archives, accessible only to select researchers, limiting their broader impact.

Digitization: A New Dawn for Preservation

Digitization involves converting physical manuscripts into digital formats, such as high-resolution images, PDFs, or XML-based archives. This process provides a sustainable way to preserve these artifacts for generations to come.

Key Benefits of Digitization

  • Preservation Without Wear: Once digitized, the original manuscript can be stored safely, minimizing exposure to physical handling.
  • Global Accessibility: Digitized manuscripts can be shared online, making them available to scholars, students, and enthusiasts worldwide.
  • Advanced Research Capabilities: Digital versions allow for text searches, zooming into intricate details, and even computational analysis for patterns or hidden annotations.
  • Disaster Recovery: Digital backups ensure the contents of manuscripts aren’t lost to unforeseen disasters.

Ninestars’ approach to manuscript digitization is methodical and highly focused on maintaining the integrity and accessibility of historical and archival documents. Here’s a breakdown of our process:

Pre-Digitization Preparation

  • Condition Assessment: Each manuscript is carefully assessed by specialists to ensure safe handling and minimize risks during the digitization process.
  • Metadata Documentation: Critical details of each manuscript are recorded, enabling accurate and searchable information to be linked to each document.

Scanning and Imaging

  • Advanced Imaging Technologies: High-resolution ISO 19264 / METAMORFOZE / FADGI 3 compliant Planetary scanner and multispectral imaging are used to capture intricate details from faded text to illuminations, ensuring minimal interference with the manuscript.
  • Non-Invasive Methods: Scanning is performed in a way that preserves the document’s condition while achieving the highest possible image quality.

Post-Processing and Enhancement

  • Image Enhancement: Advanced processing tools are used to enhance image clarity, correct colour distortions, and preserve the manuscript’s integrity.
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Even historical scripts and multiple languages are converted into searchable text.

Metadata Enrichment and Classification

  • AI-Powered Tools: AI tools are used to enrich metadata, enhancing the discoverability and contextual value of each manuscript.

Digital Preservation and Accessibility

  • Secure Storage: The digitized files are stored in scalable, secure repositories, ensuring their long-term preservation.
  • User-Friendly Platforms: Institutions can share their collections with the public through easy-to-use digital platforms.

Quality Control Measures

  • Scanner Calibration: Regular checks ensure the scanner is calibrated to meet required standards, including using Universal Test Targets (UTT) for quality validation.
  • Image QC: Every image undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure it meets specifications. Failed images are discarded and the page is rescanned.

Validation Procedures

  • Customized Validation Scripts: Bagger scripts are used to validate folder structure, file naming, TIFF properties, and other important aspects.
  • Scan Format Specifications: Scans are created at 400 ppi resolution, ensuring consistency and high quality. TIFF files adhere to strict standards for compression, naming conventions, and image quality.

Adherence to ISO Standards

  • ISO 9001:2015 and Six Sigma: Ninestars’ quality management follows these frameworks to ensure consistency and reliability.

Handling of Archival Documents

  • Work Area and Processing: A clean, dedicated workspace is maintained to avoid contamination of sensitive materials. Only pencils are used in the work area, and food or drink is prohibited.
  • Careful Document Handling: Precautions are taken when handling fragile documents, including the use of gloves, archival boards, and specialized techniques for delicate pages.
  • Anomaly Cases: Special procedures are followed for handling tears, rolled documents, brittle materials, and bleed-through cases to prevent further damage.

 Industry-Leading Projects

Ninestars has executed several high-profile digitization projects for institutions such as the Department of Delhi Archives, National Archives of India, and various foreign governments, including the Royal Danish Library and National Library of Australia. These projects include digitization of rare manuscripts, public records, images, and even microfilming and DMS implementation.

Ninestars’ meticulous process ensures that each manuscript, whether a historical document or rare manuscript, is carefully preserved and made accessible in a digital format that maintains its integrity for future generations.

Balancing Technology and Humanity

Digitization of rare manuscripts is more than just a technological endeavour—it’s a cultural imperative. By preserving these artifacts in digital form, we not only protect them from physical threats but also democratize access to our shared heritage. As technology evolves, the possibilities for digitization are boundless, promising a future where the past is always at our fingertips.

Ninestars is proud to have collaborated with over 20 national libraries worldwide, contributing to the preservation and accessibility of invaluable manuscripts and cultural artifacts. Our efforts extend beyond the borders of individual nations, aiming to protect and preserve the world’s shared heritage. By digitizing rare texts, we ensure that these treasures remain available for generations to come, whether they are located in the libraries of Europe, Asia, or Africa.

We are particularly committed to the preservation of India’s rich heritage, which spans millennia. Working with national libraries and archives in India, we have helped safeguard critical manuscripts that document the country’s historical, cultural, and scientific contributions to the world. Whether it’s ancient Sanskrit manuscripts, historical records from colonial India, or regional texts in diverse languages, Ninestars plays a key role in preserving the nation’s cultural legacy.

As a trusted partner for libraries, museums, and institutions globally, Ninestars continues to advance the digitization movement, ensuring that rare manuscripts—whether from the distant past or the recent past—are safeguarded for the future. Through cutting-edge technology, expertise, and dedication, we are helping preserve humanity’s cultural heritage for generations to come.

Key Takeaways and Recollection: WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress 2022

Ninestars took part in the World News Media Congress 2022 in Zaragoza between 28-30 September, 2022. The three-day congress with thought leaders, international speakers, and industry colleagues was a truly enriching experience. We are glad to carry home some amazing insights, idea-provoking concepts and fond memories. 

The main theme of the Congress this year revolved around Press Freedom, Reinventing Newsrooms, and Publishing Strategies to innovation and transforming media organisations. With over 1200 attendees, 120 speakers from 75 nations and several special events, the Congress provided a global perspective on the industry. 

It was exhilarating to be a part of the summit with all the decision-makers of the industry where we had a chance to learn and share our knowledge with the industry.

An array of topics was covered in the three days of Congress. The topics ranged from reflecting on the past learnings to build more sustainable future for the industry, rebuilding trust in journalism and the necessity to fight for press freedom, how to tap unserved audiences, and new ways to grow digital revenue.

One topic that had our attention captivated was web3, since Ninestars has been working towards building a unique platform based on blockchain for publishers. Web3 is where we are headed and it is an immense joy to know that a lot of our industry colleagues shared our enthusiasm. At our booth, we saw a lot of footfall of people who were interested to know more about how blockchain and NFT could be implemented in the content world.

It was great learning from some of the industry experts like Gary Liu, who emphasized the importance for media organizations to adopt web3, and to engage Gen Z and beyond. On that note, he mentioned the implementation of blockchain for South China Morning Post and also presented different case studies on NFT. An insightful presentation through and through.

Ninestars has participated in WAN-IFRA global event after quite some time and we truly enjoyed reconnecting with our colleagues, meeting publishing partners, and hearing from industry experts.

One of the major highlights for us was meeting with the King of Spain. All of our team members got to meet the King Felipe VI and we couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Were you at WAN-IFRA Congress this year? What have been your takeaways?

The National Archives of India is all set for Digital Transformation

In an increasingly tech-driven world, governments across the globe are looking for ways to hold on to the modicum of the past to preserve their heritage. By digitizing records and relics of historic importance, governments can effectively preserve and provide sustainable access to digital records to its citizens.

To ensure longevity of voluminous physical documents in its custody and to provide quicker access to archive records (a process that currently can take up to a month), the National Archives of India (NAI)  has decided to digitize its documents in a phased manner. Out of the total archive of nearly 18 crore pages, about 4 crore 50 lakh pages will be digitized in the first phase over the next three years. NAI chose Ninestars for this key digitisation project in 2021 through a rigorous tender process.

Established on 11 March, 1891 at Calcutta (Kolkata) as the Imperial Record Department, NAI is the largest archival repository in South Asia containing a wealth of valuable information for historians, officials, and interested citizens. The 125-year-old body is home to priceless articles of Indian history including maps, bills assented to by the President of India, centuries old Buddhist texts, treaties, rare manuscripts, oriental records, official records maintained by the East India Company, private papers, cartographic records, important collection of Gazettes and Gazetteers, Census records, assembly and parliament debates, proscribed literatures, travel accounts, etc. These documents also shed light on the rule of the later Mughals, growth of the East India Company in India, colonial rule in India, Indian freedom struggle and growth and development in post Independent India. Apart from the political and administrative history, the archives at NAI provide information on socio-economic history and the scientific and technological progress of India over the years. These historic titles are of immense value to the nation and the global research community.

In order to broaden access to the Archives’ collections, and reduce the impact of frequent handling of the old or fragile material, Ninestars is helping NAI digitize and maintain their most valuable collections. Ninestars will help create high-resolution surrogates of the Archives’ digitized collections with scanning and enhanced optical character recognition (OCR) for more in-depth analysis. Additionally,  we will help NAI in indexing the digital documents for easy retrieval of information. The digitised files will be uploaded on a DMS (Document Management System) Ninestars will build to make NAI records available on one single, secure platform.  

We are looking forward to an exciting journey of helping The National Archives of India accelerate its digital transformation journey. A new chapter has begun. Here are some glimpses of the project inauguration ceremony.