New Horizon of Digitization in Serbia Improvement of Digitization Through Cooperation with Leading World Institutions and the In-House Development of Digital Tools

摘要

In 2016 the University Library "Svetozar Markovic" in cooperation with eight partner institutions started a project entitled "New Horizon of Digitization in Serbia", which was funded by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the project was to improve the main segments of digitization that were developed properly and to apply new digitization methods in as many institutions as possible in Serbia in a standardized way. The new digitization methods and approaches used in this project mostly come from the cooperation of the University Library "Svetozar Markovic" with leading world institutions or result from the in-house development of digital tools to improve segments of the digitization process. During 2016, the University Library "Svetozar Markovic" in cooperation with the British National Library carried out the project entitled "Safeguarding the fragile collection of the private archive of the Lazic family" within which it acquired rich experience in enhancing the digitization process. This paper presents several segments which show how the digitization process has been improved within the project. The paper also outlines the need for the full searchability of digital text in materials that are presented to patrons and that portray the University Library "Svetozar Markovic" experience through the example of a searchable collection of historical newspapers. Two methods for creating searchable texts are outlined: via the creation of METS-ALTO files in cooperation with the National Library of Luxembourg in the case of printed materials and via automatic recognition of the handwritten text in the Horizon 2020 READ project. Finally, the needs of patron groups in working with digital materials and possibilities for their display and promotion in the modern business environment of libraries are analyzed. This paper describes in detail the experience of using the promotional device Magic Box at the University Library "Svetozar Markovic" and outlines analysis and scenarios for its application in cultural institutions. This paper is an overview of the possibilities and first experiences of improving the digitization process which will mark the following development of the field in Serbia and the region.