digitization projects among public libraries in serbia

DIGITIZATION PROJECTS AMONG PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN SERBIA: PROBLEMS, OBSTACLES AND

SUCCESS STORIES

Bogdan Trifunovic, M. A.

Digitization Center, Public Library Cacak

Digitization projects among public libraries in Serbia

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Library Network in Serbia

• Two national institutions, National Library of Serbia (Belgrade) and Library of Matica srpska (Novi Sad)

• 27 district libraries

• More than 600 public libraries and branches in total


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District Libraries

• District libraires manage library networks in their districts (smaller public libraries, school libraries, special libraries)

• Dependant on local governments for financing

• Every district library must have Local History Collections department, which are the most important in preserving local cultural heritage - therefore, LHC are priority for digitization projects among public libraries


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Digitization in Serbia

• Libraries lead digitization activities in Serbia (very few of museums or archives are involved)

• National Library of Serbia started their program of digitization in 2002 - Digital NBS

• Public libraries only recently became active participants in digital preservation of Serbian cultural heritage


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• According to one national survey in 2007, 17 of 27 district libraries answered that they are planning digitization projects, but only two answered that they have a project which is already well developed and with some results

• Same survey showed that only 48 professionals (librarians and programers) in public libraries were capable to deal with digitization


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• Public Library in Cacak conducted two surveys in 2009 (online and by email) to discover digitization trends among memory institutions in Serbia

• They showed that public libraries made some steps forward compared to 2007, because 40% said that digitization projects were started in their institutions


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• Survey by email was targeted directly to the public libraries (approx. 40 libraries) and 17 of them responded to survey

• It gave more detailed insight in contemporary digitization activities among public libraries in Serbia (what kind of materials were digitized, what hardware has been used, are there online digitized materials accessible to users), but also showed the greatest problems libraries are facing


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Survey results

• 13 of 17 public libraries have collections of digitized materials and seven of them have some online material

• Public libraries in Serbia generally are well equiped with basic hardware to start digitization (scanners, computers, cameras)

• Almost all digital materials are from LHC


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Problems!!!

• General lack of funds

• There is not enough staff capacities to handle new projects and technologies

• All public libraries are looking for national directives or guidelines to provide better practice in the future and collaboration between institutions

• What standards to use?


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Problems!!!

• What software to use?

• How to obtaine enough funds for longer period, to provide viable projects

• How to deal with copyright and other legal issues deriving from digitalization (current law does not treat digital materials)

• NO COOPERATION! NO STRATEGY!


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Positive Trends

• First, digital preservation and digitization recieved significant attention of LIS professionals in Serbia attending many conferences, seminars or meetings where those topics were discussed

• Digitization has started to be equaly treated in (larger) public libraries with other long ago established services


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Positive Trends

• The Association of Serbian Libraries new web site has „Digital Libraries“ link placed at the top level navigation

• City library in Belgrade was the first public library to buy overhead scanner in 2008

• The project „ Digital Library of Cacak“ has been voted the best library project in 2006-2009 at the Association of Serbian Libraries annual meeting in June 2009


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Success Stories

• Following examples will show how several public libraries in Serbia managed to overcome all problems (budget, staff and capacity shortages, undefined directives, copyright issues, etc) to digitaly preserve the most important parts of local heritage they hold and provide new services to their patrons


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• Public library Valjevo


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• Public Library Ljubovija (eight employes)


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• Public Library Kraljevo


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• Public Library Krusevac (the oldest collection)


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• Public Library Sabac (cooperation with NBS)


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• Our Case - Public Library Cacak


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Public Library Cacak Digitization Initiatives

• Started in 2006 without previous practice or knowledge about digital preservation

• Web galleries of digitized collections were replaced in January 2008 with a Digital Library sollution, created with internal forces and outsource professional, after Greenstone software were abandoned

• Open source or free solutions (PHP, MySQL)


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Public Library Cacak Digitization Initiatives

• From modest beginnings (one project developed in 2006 and 2007 with the help of two grants) Digital Library has arisen in full scale digital preservation program of LHC materials

• Creation of Digitization Center in 2008, the first of its kind among public libraries in Serbia

• Plans to incorporate all local cultural institutions inside Digital Repository of Local Heritage


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Spreading the Word

• We realized that our environment must be educated about the importance of digital preservation (collegues, patrons, decision makers, local authorities)

• Fund rasing

• Advocating for the cause

• Informing the users about new services

• That's why we started:


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• Digitization and Digital Libraries blog

• digital.cacak-dis.rs


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• Facebook Group


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• Youtube Channel for Digitized Video

Thank you

Questions?

Bogdan Trifunovic, [email protected]

www.cacak-dis.rs digital.cacak-dis.rs

digitization projects among public libraries in serbia

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