On January 22 first materials of periodicals and books selected for scanning were taken from the National Library of Latvia (NLL) to „Lattelecom BPO” SIA. This is the first dispatch initiating mass digitalization of NLL resources that in the future will provide wider possibilities for studying cultural and historical materials for larger scope of library users and will allow acquiring of even very specific information in very short period of time.

Among first selected resources there are such popular periodicals like magazine “Atpūta” volumes starting from 1911, volumes of the magazine “Aizsargs”, which gained large popularity in the entire country in the thirties, books published in St. Petersburg at the end of 19th century as well as books printed in Riga in the beginning of 20th century both in Latvian and Russian.

This parcel for scanning and digitalization contains 75000 pages of cultural, historical and informative materials. But in total within the framework of the project “Development of Digital Library – Stage 2” supported by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 3500000 pages of books and newspapers will be scanned and processed in order to make the digital copies and to ensure their availability in Internet for all inhabitants of Latvia not only residents of the capital city. Electronic processing of every page is complicated and time-consuming process. Digital materials placed in electronic information retrieval systems will allow people to find information in books and periodicals using key words. The results of the project will be available in the middle of year 2012. However, at the moment prototype of the project Periodika.lv with 350000 pages of newspapers from the previous century is already accessible on the Internet.

The specialists of the library point out that due to the paper quality and rapid wear a significant part of the unique cultural and historical heritage could be lost in next 10 – 20 years. “According to the law it is liability of the National Library of Latvia to ensure the usage and maintaining of the national literature resources for the next generations. Digitalization is the only way how we can ensure that resources of the library will be used by our children and their children because at the moment condition of these resources is critical," said Uldis Zariņš, Head of Digital Library “Letonika” at the NLL.

Project “Development of Digital Library – Stage 2”

Since July 9, 2009 the National Library of Latvia has started to realize the project Development of Digital Library – Stage 2 financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the government of the Republic of Latvia.

The National Library of Latvia holds unique cultural, historic and informative heritage of Latvia, but due to the paper quality and rapid depreciation some part of the valuable materials may be lost within next 10-20 years. Moreover easy access to these valuable materials till so far has been available only for residents of the capital.

Using information technologies and making digital copies of the original documents the National Library of Latvia will develop e-services provided for various user groups ensuring remote access to the necessary information in digital format in Internet and a performance of full-text search.

Within the framework of the project Development of Digital Library – Stage 2 the following activities will be realized:

• 3500000 pages of books and newspapers processed by developing digital copies and ensuring remote public access to the digital collections via electronic communications channels;
• Single architecture and the public access ensured to the archives of Latvian cultural and historical internet sites (approx. 3000 sites);
• Records of national editions digitized and published in the National Electronic Database (600000 records).

In the middle of year 2012 the results of the project will be accessible to the online users: a new e-service ­– electronic reading and full text searching of the digitized material of cultural and historical significance; usability improvement of e-services of the National Electronic Database; realization of the second stage of development of digital collection of historical Latvian periodicals www.periodika.lv, which will considerably increase publicly available content.

This project is of significant contribution to the European digital library Europeana both in number and content perspective.

Financing: European Regional Development Fund, the Government of the Republic of Latvia
Project implementation period: 09.07.2009 – 08.07.2012
Project Manager: Karīna Bandere, the National Library of Latvia