Latvian Digital Library as a Resource for Lifelong

Latvian Digital Library as a Resource for Life-long Learning Uldis Straujums Lecturer, University of Latvia, Information System Designer, National Library of Latvia Baltic IT&T 2007, April 20, 2007 © LNB

Digital library • digital library and virtual library have begun to be used to refer to the vast collections of information to which people gain access over the Internet, cable television, or some other type of remote electronic connection. www. eb. com • A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media) and accessible by computers. www. wikipedia. org

Library 2. 0 - an interactive library Library 2. 0 (L 2) is a transformation in the way library services are delivered to library users. It provides new tools to make the library space (both virtual and physical) more interactive, collaborative and driven by community needs. It encourages collaborative twoway social interactions between library staff and library customers. L 2 requires user participation and feedback in the development and maintenance of library services. http: //liswiki. org Digital library – one of Library 2. 0 manifestations

Goals and volume of the Latvian Digital Library “Letonica” • Ensuring the preservation of digital heritage (both digitized and digitally born resources) • Arrangement and description of reliable information for quick and effective search • Long-term accessibility of national digital resources within the framework of legal rights of every individual • Creation of information space in cooperation by archives, libraries and museums for life-long learning for different target groups • Encouraging information consumers to become information creators • Reducing the digital divide in regions due to the content formed on the base of national resources - Lightnet • Realizing international innovative research in the field of digitization

Target groups • The society’s interests will dictate the content of the digital library • The most significant target groups will be pupils, students, teachers, researchers needing in their everyday’s life new information • In the future these users will be able to participate in content creation • The digital library will improve the learning content and process both in formal and informal education

Strategy of Latvian Digital Library Pillars of the stategy: • Previous achievements • Experience • Project of the LNB new building

Strategy • Digitization of the most valuable part of collections and bibliographical descriptions • Creation of new metadata and conversion of manual catalogs • Creation of uniform information space in Internet, joining parts of collections from archives, libraries and museums • Creation of Latvian Internet resource repository – harvesting and archiving

Previous achievements Free access on LNB site www. lnb. lv: • 35 000 newspapers - 80 titles, about 200 000 pages; • 3000 portraits; • 737 posters; • 552 exlibris; • 357 postcards; • 130 historical maps; • 116 prints; • 7 full scores; • 2 e-books;

Digital Object Management System • Technological platform: – Servers – Computers – Software – Networks

DOM tasks [1] • Preservation and access ? Year 2007 Year 2107

DOM tasks[2] • Transfer Internet

DOM tasks [3] • Access management Librarian Mona. Lisa. tif Unregistered user Mona. Lisa. jpg

Latvian DOM [1] • Architecture developed: – British Library’s experience taken into account – Specifics of Latvia

Latvian DOM [2]

DOM Implementation • DOM platform till end of 2007: – – Specifications (Sept. – Nov. 2006) Tender procedure (Nov. – Dec. 2006) Hardware purchase (Mar. – Apr. 2007) System development (Okt. 2007)

Metadata requirements • Metadata allows the user to find the digital object independent of it’s type • Metadata element set can be used by all participating institutions for resource description

Metadata solution Two level structure: • Requirements of Unified Latvian Information System IVIS • Requirements of international organizations and projects (DLF, NISO, TEL)

Metadata structure Object Dublin Core metadata Object type specific descriptive metadata Administrative metadata Structural metadata

Metadata content Minimal level: • The European Library TEL Object Application profile v. 1. 5. • Identifiers of Unified Latvian Information System IVIS

User view (score)

Metadata creator view (score)

Digitization handbook Handbook developed by Digital libraries competency center in 2007

Digital collection “Jāzeps Vītols”

Composition in handwriting and digital format

Turnable digital pages Score “Pie tava augstā baltā loga” Dj. Vu file

Interactive digital collections • LNB has started to coordinate the development of interactive collections: – “ My photos” • Individual’s view on important events in Latvia – “Lost Latvia” • Memories about vanished natural memorials and other objects in Latvia • Resources from libraries, archives, museums and private collections

Management structure of project “Lost Latvia” LNB Rajona bibliotēka Pagasta bibliotēka Skolas bibliotēka Privātpersona Pagasta bibliotēka Rajona bibliotēka Latvijas Akadēmiskā bibliotēka Rajona muzejs Skolas bibliotēka Muzejs Arhīvs

Research Latvian Digital Library is the only one in Baltic region working on: • Interactivity, personalization • Semantical ontology of digitization • Innovative approach to OCR and indexing • Semantical filters • Natural language processing and analysis • User knowledge base integration