Babe ș-Bolyai University [609472]

Babe ș-Bolyai University
Faculty of History and Philosophy
First Year Master in Information Science

Digitizing a modern library

Professor: Piguet Arlette

Student: [anonimizat]
2017

1

Introduction

When we talk about di gital library we have to understand a serie of terms like
databaze , multimedia, on line information resour ces, new tehnology of information and
communication, multimedia apps, information retrieval, computer networks, internet,
intranet, world wide, web, wi de area information services. Analizing those terms we can
notice that everything is connected in those processes of construction, prossesing,
communication and using the information. Digital library should be understand like a
place who combines the elec tronic information resorses with database and multimedia
apps accessible through information and communication technologies . In the literature
we find several definitions "Digital library" according to the meaning they give these
authors construction infor mation.
In addition, the distinction between digital libraries and virtual library is not very
clear. The virtual library as a concept or organizational a digital library without
spatiotemporal boundaries precise . Space Internet could represent such a "vi rtual library".
Generally speaking public library is an important institution who serves and
contributes to evolve the society and cultural life , where works librarians who are well
trained, educated and devoted to their job. Their job is to organize and m ake funds of
different type in usable collection, even electronic ones. They supported the growth of
thirst for culture, love for literature and the development of new cultural ideals. Given the
nature of collections old books for instance codices, rare bo oks even under the artistic
aspects, the librarians long held a priority role of a custodian charged with the safe
keeping of these cultural and scientific goods. The modern era of science and culture
resulted in the functioning under entirely new socio -economic conditions, witch implied
the existence of rich bibliographic funds and spaces especially designed for them. The
overwhelming importance that books had in the universities, academic and cultural

2 spaces, is reflected in the emergence of libraries ser ving teaching and research. These are
the ways how scientific libraries were born.
The term “electronic library” means many things to many people and in any study
of the literature the reader must be aware of the myriad interpretations which are applied
to it as the terminology has not yet settled.1

Library management

Library management systems focus on ordering and acquisitions, cataloguing,
online pulbic acces catalogues, circulation control, serial control, management
information, interlibrary loans an d community information. Standardization increased
efficiency, networking and enhanced services have resulted from the introduction of
computer systems. Computer systems were first seen as particularly appropriate in those
organizations or networks where t he number of library management transactions was
large. The first systems were based on mainframe and minicomputers. Later, the
increasing availability of microcomputer software and hardware extended the use of
library management systems to all sizes and c ategories of libraries. Library management
systems can be viewed as the systems that manage access to documents in a library
collection, or in a more limited way, documents that can be temporarily drawn into
library collections through, for instance, inter library loans. The central concern is to
maintain the library collection, and to monitor the whereabouts of documents so that
library staff and customers are aware of the availability and status of the documents in the
collection. 2

Digitizing a Scientifi c library

The possibilities of training databases through computerization and Internet lines,
widened almost unlimited. Also publishing systems facilitates electronic publication so
much that even in the phase of documenting, extends are tremendously in t he researchers

1 Jennifer Rowley, The electronic library.
2 Ibidem .

3 result. Libraries, especially large ones, university, academic and national ones have
multiple roles. They are on one hand storage of information, and on the other hand are
institutions that provide services to those in scientific research. Finally they have their
own research functions.
Scientific libraries are designed to support research but some of them support the
need of documenting and storing information to meet the needs of a particular science
industry only. These conditions lead to the need of evolving in technological fields of
scientific libraries. A scientific library with a considerable special collection fund needs
to digitize these collections in order to facilitate a better research of these materials.3
In the past few years, the procedures for digitizing books at high speed and
comparatively low cost have improved considerably with the result that it is now possible
to digitize millions of books per year. Google book -scanning project is also working with
libraries to offer di gitize books pushing forward on the digitize book realm.
The library leadership should organize a meeting in which they should discuss the
process of digitizing the materials. This discussion should focus on financing, selecting
the responsible team, selec ting the prime titles which will be digitized, according to the
materials of the books, as well as purchasing the necessary equipment, selecting the
software, planning the digitization activity, processing the digitized materials, and
capitalizing the digi tized materials.
Financing
The library will need a server on which to store the information processed by the
personnel responsible for this task. They will have acquired various personal computers
and users. The performances of these devices is defined in order to be used. It will also
be necessary to acquire scanner to be determined in accordance with the budget, which is
the most costly of all instruments. The equipment will be filled over the years with others
more efficient. At first it will try to pu rchase the minimum of equipment is needed for
library automation. The equipment will be purchased based on your budget, but in other
ways as various programs that support library automation,European funds, donations or
fundraising outside the University bu dget.4

3 Drummond Robyn -The Evolution of the Research Impact Measurement Service at UNSW Library
4 Marshall Breeding -The system Librarian .

4 Digitization theme
After we decided what the funding of the project would be could select the team
that will digitize the collections . The team whould be formedfrom a librarian responsible
for the management of the collection. Personnel will handle the execution of the project
will be composed of library staff and specialist staff in showing how IT automation and
implementation of technical equipment and software. IT staff will be composed of tech –
savy librarians even if they are employed in other fi elds to meet t he technological skills
and programming knowledge, web pages, web design, database.
Selecting titles
The titles we select to digitize will be the ones that have a bad conservation status,
and are degraded and can no longer be researched or loaned because of their physical
conditions, as well as the most relevant for our library or for res earchers and the most
requested. We will study the format of existing documents and we will determine what
kind of scanners are needed to be digitized. The n ext step will be to establish the types of
documents they hold and excellent character library contained whether or not they have
heritage value, are relevant to users and that is their reputation.
Equipment
The library will be made available to a server that will serve to store information
that will be processed by staff who will be responsible for these tasks. Will buy more
personal computers and users. Purchase and scanners will be determined with the
available budget.
The planetary scanner consists of a
scanner, or camera head is positioned over an
area that scans by shooting the material without
touching the original book. For maxim
protection of the original planetary scanners
may have different accessories such as
turntables adjustable book cradle sy stems to
scan books only partially open at 120 ˚.5

5 Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative, “Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritag
Material: Creation of Raster Imag e Master Files ’’.

5 Digitization Process
The age of the document is one of the most important factors in digitization. It is
important to establish a category of content that we make available to our adventure
readers for the library to have a well defined community. Coll ections of digital
documents may contain digitized special collections library in possession (rare books,
postcards, illustrated maps) whether the library holds important equipment for digitizing,
then download the electronic books and magazines available throus licenses or materials
that are not under copyright, scientific databases purchased or licensed other electronic
resources that are produced by he library or by librarians6
After digitizing our most important materials and processing them we will cr eate
our personal database, named after our scientific library. In these database it will be
presented all the digitized material and it can be accesed by the students and researches of
the university as well a s those who will have a card for the library. Another important
aspect is the library’s web page that will be the image of the institution where the user
can interact with collections available the physical space of traditional library

Conclusion

Creating a digital library is a true work that involv es many more aspects than
those that we have presented above. The process of digitization is the existence of special
devices(scanner, digital camera, digitizer with slides) and some digitized image
processing applications. Digital form is used to gain spa ce and a faster document retrieval
and information that it contain. Using the digitization process, our collections can be way
better capitalized and noted by the future and actual scientist in order to complete their
job and make our life better with the help of their findings
The electronic book is a form of data storage that will produce changes in
politicies and strategies, the means of application the procedures and processes for aall
systems of information and documentation in the world.

6 Bodnar Robert, Bem Agnes, Curta Olimpia. Building a digital libra ry: best practices in BCU, Cluj.

6 Bibliography

 Jennifer Rowley, The electronic library.
 Drummond Robyn -The Evolution of the Research Impact Measurement
Service at UNSW Library .
 Marshall Breeding -The system Librarian .
 Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative, “Technical Guidelines
for Digitizing Cultural Heritag.
 Material: Creation of Raster Image Master Files’’ .
 Bodnar Robert, Bem Agnes, Curta Olimpia. Building a digital library: best
practices in BCU, Cluj .