The LIB.R.I.S. project: from heritage conservation to user‐oriented concerns
| Date | 01 March 1997 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040637 |
| Pages | 8-15 |
| Published date | 01 March 1997 |
| Author | Marie Després‐Lonnet |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
The LIB.R.I.S.
project:
from heritage
conservation to
user-oriented
concerns
by Marie Després-Lonnet, Martine
Aubry and Katell Briatte, Université
Lille 3, France
Three libraries in the North-East of
France
are
collaborating in the creation of an archive of
digitised images that simultaneously preserves
and extends access to the region's
iconographic heritage. Images are scanned
and stored in the Phrasea multimedia DBMS,
along with iconographic and geo-historical
indexing data applied using
specially-
elaborated
thesauri.
The
public success of the
system has prompted its developers to
consider implementing novel user-interaction
metaphors.
Introduction
Northern Europe has a wealth of
rare,
precious
iconographic treasures of great interest to scholars
and students. Unfortunately, due to ageing, any
consultation of these documents can result in
irreversible damage. Therefore, it seems urgent to
historians and librarians to save this regional
heritage while preserving and facilitating its access
by scholars and students.
For this reason three regional libraries have con-
cluded a partnership aiming at digitising their
iconographic documents. This database will offer
the right answer to both issues mentioned above:
preservation and accessibility.
Moreover, digitisation considerably improves the
use of such documents in three ways: firstly, by
providing new features, such as a unique, user-
friendly interface and manipulation tools;
secondly, by annotating each image with historical
comments as well as bibliographic references
which facilitate its interpretation; and finally, by
giving access to a wider and more varied audience
through the Internet. Documents which were
originally dispersed and heterogeneous will be
accessed more easily, making it possible to work
with the images they contain without in any way
endangering their survival.
Source materials
The principal libraries of Northern France possess
a large number of documentary resources relating
to local history which are of great interest not only
to scholars and students, but also to a wider audi-
ence.
The use of online public access catalogues
(OPACs) facilitates access to these documents. But
the catalogues in themselves give an inadequate
account of the iconographic wealth of the material
they refer
to.
Nevertheless geographical maps, old
postcards, photographs, original manuscripts,
films,
slides, etc., are an inexhaustible source for
historians.
Librarians are confronted with a dilemma. On the
one hand, they have an obligation to preserve this
regional heritage. On the other hand, their role is to
facilitate access to it. Unfortunately, in a large
number of
cases,
any consultation can result in
irreversible damage because of the fragility of the
material: parchment, old works, etc.(1).
Although the various iconographic materials in the
different libraries seem to complement each other,
no common reference tool exists. Readers must go
to each library in order to obtain a complete view
of the local iconography related to their field of
interest.
For this reason three regional libraries already
involved in the development of a common biblio-
graphic database have concluded a partnership to
find a solution to both issues mentioned above:
preservation and access. The LIB.R.I.S(2) project
was born from this partnership. It focuses on the
use of digitisation and optical storage. Its ultimate
goal is the creation of
a
networked iconographic
archive.
The project
The first objective of
this
project was to define
common working rules while taking into account
the specific constraints on each partner.
8—VINE 107
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