World libraries: Digitization Center opens at the National Library of Armenia

On December 23 2010 the National Library of Armenia opened its Digitization Center.

At the center’s opening ceremony the Director of the National Library David Sarkisyan underscored that digitization of materials of the National library was quite a long process, as the fund numbered around 7 million of storage units, which would be restored, prepared and converted into digital format.

He mentioned that already in spring 2011 patrons would be able to visit the website of the National Library www.nlа.am and make use of digitized materials.

Mr. Sarkisyan emphasized that the first to go digital would be “easy” materials (photographs, music manuscripts, maps etc.) and frequently asked books.

Digitized materials will be stored on electronic carrier with a potential working life of 50 years.

The National Library of Armenia is collaborating with a number of international libraries, in particular, with the Library Assembly of Eurasia, which brings together libraries of CIS member-states and Baltic states, as well as СENL, which unites national European libraries.

In 2010 in Washington the National Library of Armenia joined the session of the World Digital Library.

David Sarkisyan also said that top priority was digitization of all books in Armenian language and their preservation, later the library aimed to translate those books and make a rich culture, literature and history of the Armenian people available to the whole world.