The Ministry of Education and Culture launched the National Digital Library project in the summer 2008. The aim was to improve the availability and usability of the electronic materials of libraries, archives and museums as well as develop a long-term preservation solution for the materials.
Simultaneously, the National Digital Library project is a part of the development of national electronic services and infrastructures. It is one of the public administration projects defined in the Ubiquitous Information Society action plan implementing the Government Resolution on the Objectives of the National Information Society Policy 2007-2011.
The project aims to improve prerequisites for access to information, learning and research, and create new opportunities for art and creative activities. Improving access to the materials ensures that information on our culture and history is actively used.
Moreover, the project aims to improve the productivity of the participating organisations. The joint solutions reduce the overlapping costs of digitisation and management and distribution of electronic materials, freeing up resources for other tasks and consequently making the use of public funds more effective.
At the same time, the impact benefits gained from the creation and maintenance of library, archive and museum information resources will multiply as the materials form a common, easy-to-use national entity. The aim of digitisation and improvement of the availability of digital materials is to attain the positive social impact created by the use and reuse of digitised content.
The Ministry of Education has appointed both a monitoring group and a steering group for the National Digital Library project. Availability and long-term preservation sections and a technical expert group work under the steering group. In all, 35 organisations are participating: ministries, national institutions in charge of preserving cultural heritage, scientific and public libraries, archives, museums and representatives from other central interest groups.
The participating individuals are listed in connection with the project in the State project register: http://www.hare.vn.fi/mKokoonpanonSelailu.asp?h_iID=14477&tVNo=6&sTyp=Selaus (in Finnish)
Picture: Enterprise architecture of the National Digital Library