Digital libraries and digital preservation
Development of of Digital libraries and digital preservation reflects the world’s global trend on digitalizing the cultural resources. R&D in this domain, conducted in the EECA countries, is focused mostly on processing of the national languages and alphabets (Cyrillic, Armenian, etc.).
Preservation of the cultural heritage and its efficient utilization is an imprescriptible part of the strategy for sustainable development of Russia, and, broadly, the task of cultural progress. In the recent decade digital libraries were esteblished in various branches of science and culture. Creation of the libraries was supported with advances in ICT, including scanning technologies, image and caracter recognition, data preservation, ontologies, multimedia and search.
It made the basement for new abtitious integration project “Scientific Heritage of Russia” that incorporates leading academies, universities, public libraries to integrate their resources into global public informational resource, a significant landmark in the united informational lanscape.
Digital libraries (and from the theoretical point of view and as a practical implementations) are one of the bases stones of Knowledge Society. In Armenia such works are successfully implemented for digitalization of libraries in universities and research institutes. A great work is done on digitalization of Armenian manuscripts.
In Armenia such works are still in a starting phase, and we need to prepare strong research basis for DL for successful integration to EU research market. Participation in FP7 programs will open a window for Armenian researches to participate in the activities ‘Digital Libraries and Content’. In NAS RA and in Universities we have a critical mass of researchers and Ph.D. students in the fields of Computer Science and Information Science, and they can make essential reflections of the works being carried on the Digital Libraries.
Distinguished R&D teams:
- Fundamental Scienific Library of NAS RA
- Russian-Armenian University: Harutjun Gasparyan or Vachagan Vahradyan
Digitalization of major libraries in Belarus is an on-going activity, it includes optical recognition, presentation and access services, as well as research and tools development. Now in Belarus realize the state scientific-engineering programme INFOTECH Programme runs from 2006-2010. It aims to support the creation of new intelligent information technologies and systems, the development of models, mathematical methods and hard-software facilities to increase the product competitive abilities and improve social sphere of the country. The programme involves fundamental research, applied research and maintenance projects. The beneficiaries of the programme are the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and Ministry of Education of Belarus. The leading organizations responsible for execution of the programme are the United Institute of Informatics Problem and Belarusian State University.
Realization the research EU-Belarus project can boost the development of digital self-supporting library centers (academic library, law library, medical library, etc.).
Distinguished R&D institutions:
- United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (UIIP NASB)
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
“Modernization of Kazakhstan Libraries for 2007-2009 years” Governmental Program was developed with the combined collaboration with all regional Kazakhstan libraries. This Program directs for improvement of the library service condition and computerization of rural libraries. Program was supported by Ministry of Culture and Information. Such projects as “Kazakhstan National Digital Library”, Kazakhstan Distant Library Academy”, “Integrated Information network of Kazakhstan Libraries” were implemented in the frame of this Program.
Digitalization of libraries is in progress under the Governmental Program «Decreasing of Information Inequality”. Under this Program Internet portal of the Kazakhstan National Electronic Library www.kazneb.kz was established to provide access to digital media, mostly e-books and digitalized newspapers.
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