National Digital Library of Finland: How to Enable Access to Digital Cultural Material to Users of Today and to Future Generations

Minna KarvonenIASSIST 2009, 27.5.2009

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National Information Society Policy in Finland

Government Resolution on the Objectives of the National Information Society Policy 2007−2011

Information Society Action Plan 2007–2011

•National Digital Library project

Relating other areas:•Science and research infrastructures•Overall IT architecture for public administration •Open learning environments

National Information Society Strategy 2007-2015

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National Digital Library of Finland 2008−2011

National Digital Library means:• a common user interface for the information resources of libraries, archives and

museums (in operation in 2011)• digitisation of the most essential information resources of libraries, archives and

museums • development of a long-term preservation solution for electronic cultural heritage

materials (a detailed plan in 2010)• increasing competence

National Digital Library will work as an aggregator for the European Digital LibraryEuropeana.

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National Digital

Library – 700 libraries, museums

& archivesNational Archives+

provincial archives = National Archive Service

National Board of Antiquities/National Museum of Finland

Finnish National Gallery

Finnish Museum of Natural History

Regional museums

Regional art museumsNational specialised

museums Other museums

Public libraries

Special libraries

National Library of Finland

Municipal archives, other public administration archives

and other archives

National audio-visual archive

Libraries in educational institutions

Libraries in higher education institutions

Government-subsidized and other private archives

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Monitoring group

Steering group

Availability section Technical expert group Long-term preservation section

Working groupsWorking groups

Working groups Working groups

Working groups

National Digital Library: development organisation

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Back-end systems

restricted materials unrestricted materials

National Digital Library

Europeana and other

externalsystems

National long-term preservation system

library, archive, museum systems and other systems

metadata

submission information packages

(object + metadata)

metadata

dissemination information

packages

metadata

National user interface

metadata

search

search

object search

object search

Users

search results

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National Digital Library User Interface: operating principle

• One national view and institution-specific views (one installation with many views)

• Opens access to digital materials and services of libraries, archives and museums – Digital objects and reference data: pictures, documents, newspapers,

studies, databases, videos and audio recordings• Public domain material available for all• Material which use requires identification

– Licensed material (e.g. e-magazines, databases)– Material with restricted display and use (e.g. archive material)

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User interface: searchable content in 2011

• 1,3 million pages of newspapers• hundreds of thousands photographs and museum objects• 1 million pages of archive material• 50 million database references • licenced material: 300 000 e-books, 20 000 e magazines

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National Digital Libraries & Europeana

Europeana

National Digital Libraries: e.g.BAM, Culture.fr, Culturaitalia,

CIDEC, National Digital Library of Finland

Sectoral & Cross Sectoral Portals: Athena, Apenet, EFG, STERNA etc.

Individual services of libraries, archives and museums

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Benefits of the National Digital Library Project

• improves availability of electronic information resources and makes their use easier

• strengthens cooperation across organisational and sectoral borders

• reduces overlapping expenses from digitisation and management, distribution and preservation of electronic material in libraries, archives and museums

• improves interoperability, manageability and efficiency of processes

• preserves the potential of cultural heritage material as a source for education, research, creative activity, business and general access to information far into the future

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What is needed to make this all happen?

• national guidelines• national coordination mechanisms & governance• common procedures and standards• resources• sustainability• content• good will, continuous interaction & capacity to change

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www.minedu.fi

From July 2009 Finnish-Swedish-English: www.kdk2011.fi

http://www.europeana.eu/portal/

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/digital_libraries/index_en.htm

Minna KarvonenSecretary General/ National Digital LibraryMinistry of Educationminna.karvonen@minedu.fi

Thank you!

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