The Presidential Library continues to integrate resources of Russian libraries, archives and museums

Actual problems of integration of electronic resources of libraries, museums and archives were discussed at the V Scientific and Practical Conference "Cultural heritage: integration of resources in the digital environment", which is held in the Presidential Library October 1 - 2.

The main topic of discussion was the participation of main custodians of cultural heritage in the country's largest project - development of the National Electronic Library (NEB). This project is implemented by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation with the aim of integrating the Russian libraries in a single information network and preserving national cultural heritage.

Today, the Presidential Library is actively involved in organization of information technology platform for the development and storage of the regional component of the NEB digital content, said in his speech Deputy Director General of the Presidential Library, Paul Tereshchenko. He focused on the issues relating to the allocation of special resources and sites for the libraries participating in the NEB project. This includes determination of scan areas and creation of special zones to work with electronic resources.

Today, for example, the Presidential Library is able to provide simultaneous access to the same document for 10 thousand users. Libraries that have integrated their resources under the auspices of NEB will be able to reach the same or similar parameters. In addition to the practical work on the integration, the Presidential Library professionals are engaged in theoretical work on the development of description standards, which would provide for integration of resources from libraries, archives and museums in a single digital space.

In her turn, Nataliya Kachina, director of department to work with libraries and universities, "ELAR" corporation, described in detail the way of access to NEB collections for libraries and users. To date, the readers are registered and then get electronic library tickets and create personal accounts. This service will allow them to work more effectively in the NEB system.

During the conference it was also noted that the NEB integration is more efficient in those regions where the administration shows real interest in the activities of libraries.

During the forum, from 29 September to 1 October 2014, the Presidential Library also held the annual training seminar on methods of cataloging digital copies of various types and kinds of resources. It addressed the issues related to the presentation formats of different data (from libraries, archives, museums), their compatibility and interaction in a joint electronic catalog.

Giving an appraisal to the conference, the moderator of the discussed problems, Presidential Library Director Elena Zhabko noted that there is a shift from the local conference on the conservation of national cultural heritage in the digital environment to the annual forum of federal significance with the including the above-mentioned workshop and webinar for remote reading rooms.