The National Library of Belarus is developing a unified electronic library platform to provide access to millions of documents
16:26, 11 September
Photo: Soyuz.by, open sources
The National Library of Belarus (NLB) is transforming from a traditional book depository into the country's largest information and socio-cultural hub. The institution's collections already contain over 10.6 million storage units in 80 languages. This was announced by Deputy Director General of the NLB Viktor Pshibytko at a press conference dedicated to the Day of Libraries, a Soyuz.by correspondent reports.
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"These are not only books, but also newspapers, magazines, dissertations, and audiovisual documents. Along with printed publications, we are actively acquiring electronic resources - more than 80 databases are already available to our readers," said Pshibytko.
The key project that will determine the future of the country's library network is the development of the National Electronic Library Platform. Its goal is to unite in one virtual space the disparate collections of 53 libraries, including republican, regional, university and even some district libraries.
"Each library currently uses its own software, and all resources are scattered. The new platform will reunite them, becoming a source of reliable information for users, regardless of whether they are in the capital or in any other region," the NLB representative emphasized.
The platform implements the "one-stop shop" principle. The reader will be able to find the required document through a single interface, see which library it is in, and order it. If a digital copy exists, the user will have online access to it in compliance with copyright laws.
The system will provide librarians with automated work tools - from stock acquisition to reader registration. This will significantly simplify processes and unify the work of all project participants.
Today, the collection of the NLB's own electronic library already exceeds 740 thousand digitized documents, which is more than 18 million pages. Some of them are in the public domain and available for downloading from anywhere in the world, and documents with limited access can be accessed in the reading rooms of the NLB and partner libraries.
The launch of the platform will be a new stage in the democratization of knowledge, making the national cultural heritage and information resources as accessible as possible to every resident of Belarus.
