POLICIES FOR DIGITIZATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
One of the priorities of our country for the promotion of cultural heritage is to digitize valuable collections owned by libraries and presenting them in an open information space. This is one of the main approaches for intensification of the information functions of libraries. The digitization of the assets aims at protection, long-term storage and provision of wider access to the cultural content stored in libraries.
The practical side leads to the provision of access to cultural heritage through the national resources of libraries, presented in full text electronically, making information more accessible and more attractive to use, and provides access to citizens – users of web space – to information sources that are in special custody in libraries.
The St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library has one of the richest and most valuable collections of different types of materials – books, manuscripts, periodicals, graphic and other publications presenting Bulgarian cultural heritage. The established center for digitization to the library also makes it a natural center for coordination and partnership with other cultural institutions.
At present the Regional Library in Varna is recognized by Europeana as the largest multidisciplinary data aggregator for Bulgaria.
The process of digitization of materials in libraries and archives in Bulgaria continues to be significantly more active than that of movable and immovable cultural property.
The MC is a Programme Operator for BG08 Programme "Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Arts", financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and to be provided with grants for projects under the measure "Documentation of Cultural History" with a budget of EUR 2,935,000. The measure is aimed at project ideas for converting objects of cultural value in digital format for the first time, creating digital cultural heritage centres in institutes in the field of culture or universities. Specific activities are already being carried out under this programme.
So far the National Library has digitized and submitted to the Europeana site approximately 3,850 documents. It strictly follows the implementation of the Public Domain Charter of Europeana. In the long term the main mission of the digital library is the digitization of all library documents that are publicly available and are not subject to protection by the Copyright and Related Rights Act (CRRA,1993). In accordance with the Recommendation and the Manifesto of IFLA/UNESCO for digital libraries dd. December 2010, the National Library provides permanent accessibility to their digital copies. The policy adopted upon the establishment of the direction aims to promote the reuse of digital objects.The library offers unlimited access to all digitized material in the public domain. The digital library of the National Library promotes reuse of digitized materials that are available to the public by providing free access to all digitized materials through the website of the library and through other digital libraries and portals.
In 2008 the Pencho Slaveykov Regional Library in Varna launched its collaboration with Europeana as a partner in the Europeana Local project. Initially recognized as a data creator (provider), later the library officially launched a OAI-PMH repository and began actual work on aggregating data for a limited number of libraries and museums. Currently it is the largest data provider with more than 53,880 entries in the database of Europeana and at the same time acts as an aggregator for other regional libraries that actively digitize their valuable collections. During the period from 2012 to 2014 the library was a partner of Europeana for Bulgaria in the broad media campaign to promote the services provided by the largest digital library of Europe. From 2013 until 2016 the library in Varna was focused on content stored in small community center libraries and in private collectors. Thanks to this initiative a number of small collections stored in community centers in Varna Region have been digitized and presented in Europeana.
Motives and text were prepared on the topic of digitization to the draft Law on amendment and supplement of the Cultural Heritage Act, which are to be offered for public discussion.
Information is included in item b.