The digitization has proceeded in the Baltic States, while Germany is lagging behind. In the Baltic States, the libraries play a key role in the digital preservation of cultural heritage.
Around 120 million visitors to take advantage of the educational and cultural offer of the German libraries in the year. The German Council for cultural education published in September a study on the digitization of the library offer. One of the results: digitizing effect on the Image, and the range of libraries is strongly positive.
In the German library Association, you know that for a long time. It walls vividly, invited the Association is therefore a group of journalists to a press trip to Latvia and Lithuania. The initial question is: what should the library of the future?
Know make it publicly available
Have lost the libraries of its information monopoly? Not all knowledge can be found on the Internet? The Baltic States are in almost perfect shape, such as libraries and the Internet enter into a highly fruitful symbiosis, such as the traditionally used in libraries, the collected Knowledge and archives is preserved for historical memory can be made public.
Sometimes small “to be” benefits. Latvia, for example, with its almost two million inhabitants, offers a manageable circumstances in which a digital infrastructure well-build and manage. So good, that the country attracts because of its advanced state of digitization, more and more Startups and digital preservation of cultural heritage is exemplary.
Libraries open up a huge network
The Latvian national library in Riga (pictured above) is at first impressed glance, a beacon of Modernity. Gunnar Birkerts’ “the castle of Light” is one of the most magnificent new library building in the world. Since 1992, only in 2014 completed a significant building of the Latvian-American architect, still a manuscripts, books, Newspapers, and magazines space – a total of four million objects. Not only for physical use, also as art objects and the result of a large audience the action they are visible and tangible.
A meter-high Installation made of books adorns the hall of the national library in Riga
But more important than this concrete existence of the digital. A General catalogue of the national libraries, 40 library databases can be developed. All of the 801 public Latvian libraries are connected in a network – a huge Intranet. For many people, this infrastructure is now an essential part of your everyday life. And you can use them in the whole country with a single library card!
From the library to the Museum
The 7150 public Terminals in the libraries to research in the various catalogs and databases to start. Lauris from the remote small town of Smiltene do not need to be content with vague ideas, if he wants to know if the ride is worth it to the Museum. Of the approximately six million objects in the national museums of Latvia, of the composite catalog lists almost a fifth, 19 per cent of all the objects. This is four Times as much as to actually see in exhibitions. 120 museums use the catalogue for their daily work. On the closed network rights-protected Material can be used, with the library, access to a home Computer from.
At the forefront of digital Innovation in Latvia is the “center for Cultural information systems”. It belongs to the Ministry of culture and care, picked at the edge of the beautiful Riga old town, to the development of the national cultural treasures of the most diverse fields. While libraries and archives are held in a national archive and information system digital.
Innovative systems for archives, museums and libraries
When Ieva would like to know where your grandfather was born, not poring over dusty tomes. You can check the old Church books at home on the Computer, digital maps, study documents, and other documents. “We want to unify,” says project Manager Janis Ziedins. “We will help as much as we can. We provide the libraries and museums, archives and the administrative infrastructure.” The funds come in large part from the European regional development Fund (ERDF).
Latvia has one of the fastest Internet in the world. Only this makes it possible that the digital Film and photographic archive, or a national Archive for staff documents can be used effectively. There is a digital Video and audio archive with the beautiful name DIVA. A library to access Latvian movies comfortably on the Sofa at home looking. E-Books for your own – or even in the library borrowed a Tablet for a limited time, download.
Well looked after and playfully guided: children in Lithuanian libraries
Lithuania: libraries have a social mission
Also in 1919 – nearly 100 years ago – based Lithuanian national library in Vilnius since a long time to transfer your old stocks in a digital future. Since the neo-classical main building was handed over after the rebuild in September 2016, the Public, the Director Renaldas Gudauskas accelerates the Transformation. The digitized library collection, as part of the virtual European library “Europeana”, the scientific and cultural heritage of Lithuania accessible.
Libraries in the Baltic countries is still far more than in Germany, a social-educational mission. The city library in Vilnius has developed a program that seeks to strengthen children from socially weak families. It’s not about the books or Comics. Lithuanian software developers have designed Games that work as a communication platform for children. A maximum of six children can meet digitally, and by means of one of the children’s own designed avatar to talk about their problems. A trained psychologist will accompany and help you – virtual and quite real in the next room in the library. The program finds international attention and imitators.
With the help of a computer game for children and young people in Lithuania can speak about their problems
Programs for young people
But even the most remote regions of this small country are connected digitally. Plunges, a town of 20,000 inhabitants, is long since arrived in the virtual reality. In 2016, the library was awarded for the “most successful tourist project”: holograms that you can also watch at home. The library is housed in a small “Palazzo Vecchio” is located in a beautiful Park. Many special stones, trees and other plants are marked with QR Codes, the information to retrieve. The target audience is clear: young people.
One of the studies recommendations of the German cultural Council, the enhanced cooperation of libraries, day-care centres and schools. 2015 worked only about every ninth school in Germany with a library. Digitisation offers great opportunities.