Creating the Digital Library: MSU Central Library Experience

Abstract

Digitization of library collections is one of the long-term strategic tasks of modern libraries, regardless of their organizational subdivision. Libraries, by digitizing collections and extending access to e-resources, fulfill a significant social mission of providing open access to knowledge and cultural values. There are a lot of theoretical approaches and practices on electronic collection building. Each library has its own specificity in achieving this objective, defined by the structure and content of the traditional collection, the quality of the scanning equipment, the technical and technological complex, and the staff qualifications involved. This article describes the experience of the Moldova State University (MSU) Central Library, on the implementation of the Digital Library project funded by the Government of Japan within the "Kusanone" Culture Grants Program. The main purpose of the Digital Library is to preserve the cultural-scientific heritage existing in the MSU Central Library. The main purpose of establishing the Digital Library is to store and preserve the cultural-scientific heritage existing in the MSU Central Library. Following the legal framework on the digitization of the documents, the existing experience in the field, the USM working group set the stages, the organization and development processes of the Digital Library, which included: identification of priorities for the digitization of the collections; setting criteria and selection of documents to be digitized; development of the working methodology; equipment identification and acquisition; creation of the digital content; Digital Library implementation and management. The digital library is organized in collections: old and rare books, old periodicals, church books. The MSU Publications Collection represents the scientific heritage, created under the patronage of Moldova State University since its foundation (1946) until 1991, including: conferences, symposia, monographs, didactic and methodical documents, periodical publications. The development of the Digital Library will expand access to information, will contribute to the promotion of heritage collections at national and international level, offering users a modern way of consulting documents, in line with new technologies. UDC: [027.7:004.65]:005.54(478); JEL: D83; I23; L86.