Old Printed Books in Electronic Databases

Abstract

For many years, rare publications stored in libraries and other institutions, kept in warehouses and closed metal cabinets, could have been used only in special reading rooms. Today, in the digital environment, they are described and can be searched in electronic library catalogs and browsed in digital libraries. They have never before been available to such a large circle of users. The paper points out the possibilities of presenting rarities in electronic databases, and especially their interconnection. The digitization of rarities does not mean only the transfer of data into new formats but also implies a high-quality new interactive research approach. There are some examples from the Matica Srpska Library – its electronic catalog, Digital MSL, and its inputs in the Digital Register of Cultural Property. During the cataloging of rarities, in addition to the description, great attention is paid to the copies. This paper lists the types and order of the data entered as notes on the copies during the electronic cataloging of old books in the Matica Srpska Library. The possibility of connecting the electronic catalog with digital collections is also emphasized. The Digital MSL provides access to the cultural heritage possessed by the Matica Srpska Library for scientific researchers and the general public. In this database, digital publications are linked to the electronic catalog and descriptions in the printed catalogs of rare materials. All printed materials and manuscripts that have the status of cultural property in the Republic of Serbia are recorded in the Digital Register of Old and Rare Library Materials. The database provides a possibility of connecting the entered cultural property with the description in the electronic catalog and digital copy and thus combines numerous data on protected specimens in one place.