文化和科技遗产的数字化保存是现在和未来整个社会面临的一项重要的任务，柏林国家图书馆数字化中心是同行业中最具现代化的，极具价值性。公共领域的数字化加工采用最先进的扫描和成像技术，然后进入到图书馆计算机数据库，实现网上资源免费共享。图书馆馆长AndreasMlck说：我们为科学研究注入新的动力，推进文化记录发展，为国际知识库贡献力量。
TheHeadoftheInventoryConservationandDigitisationDepartmentwelcomesmeinthebuildinglocatedonUnterdenLinden.Thisiswherethenewdigitisationcentreishoused;ithasbeeninoperationsinceSeptember2010,occupyingspaceclosetothenewreadingroominarefurbishedsectionoftheoldbuilding.
Warminguptotheinterview,AndreasMlckmentionsthreeaspectsthathavebeenofpivotalimportanceduringtheparadigmswitchfromreprographytodigitalreproduction.
Further,thoroughindexingimprovestheeasewithwhichindividualworkscanberesearchedingreaterdepth.Finallyalso,digitisationprovidesthelibrarywithahighqualityofsurrogatemediathatcanbeofferedtousersintheirresearch.Thishelpsconservetheoriginalsandmakesanimportantcontributiontopreservingtheinventory.
Justscanonce
Thescanoperatorgentlyplacesan18th-centuryChristianmanuscriptontotheblacksurfaceoftheZeutschelflatbedscanner.Aglassplatecoversthepagesofthebook.Thescanningheadtravelsalongpreciselines,guidingthelightacrossthesourcematerial.Thepagesarescannedinsideofsecondsandareinstantaneouslyrenderedontheconnectedmonitor.
AnotherscannerlocatedimmediatelytotheleftissimultaneouslytransferringMongolianmapsfromthelateQingDynastyatthestartofthe20thcentury,bequeathingthemtothedigitalworld.
Thedigitisationcentrecoversabroadspectrumofcontentandperiods:from17th-centuryPrussianprintsthroughtoArabianmanuscripts,16th-centuryChinesenovelsfromtheMingDynastyandTibetanprayersofsupplication.Andthepropertiesofthesourcematerialareequallyvariedandcomplex.Itincludes,amongothers,thicktomes,maps,bookbindingsmadeofsilkandalsoworksthathavebeenseverelydamaged.
Thescansarealwaysincolour,usingaresolutionof300dpi.Detailsinthesourcematerialcanalsobehighlightedandrenderedvisible,forinstanceinmaps;inthesecasesthescanresolutioncanbeincreasedtoamaximumof600dpi.Inadditiontoanoutstandingqualityofreproduction,thedigitisationcentrefocusesonhighcolourfidelityandtakesgreatcaretohandlethesourcematerialgently.
Includingrestoration
Wehavesincemovedontothenextroom.Inventoriesofbooksarestoredhereinsmallerboxes,eachlabelledwithaninternalcontrolsheetthatpreciselyspecifiestheconditionsrequiredforscanning.
Theyreviewallofthebookslocatedinthedigitisationareaonaweeklybasisanddefinetheconditionsthatmustbeupheldforabooktobeapprovedfordigitisation.Therestorersalsoprovidethescanoperatorswithtipsandproposesolutionsastohowprecautionarymeasuresshouldbeappliedtoavoidproblemsemergingduringthescanprocess.Andevenifdamageoccursduringthedigitisationprocessorlateron,thematerialsaresentstraightontotherestorationstudio.
Threepillars
Workwithinthedigitisationcentreisbasedonthreepillars.Theareainvolvingtheleastscopeistheprotectiveandprecautionarydigitisationofoutstandingtreasurescontainedinspecialcollectionsorofdamagededitionsinthegeneralinventoriesofprintedmaterials.
Materialsofimmeasurablevalue
Heemphasisesthreeprojectsasexamplesoftheparticularbenefitsthatthisdigitisationworkofferstoscienceandtosocietyasawhole.Roughly15,000printsmanufacturedinPrussiainthe17thcenturyareamongtheparticularlypreciousbookscurrentlyundergoingimaginginthedigitallibrary.OnethirdofthesebooksareownedsolelybytheBerlinStateLibrary,andsopreciseanddetailedreproductionontheInternetisofimmeasurablevaluetoresearch.
Backintheproductionrooms,thepurposefulbustleistangible.Workproceedsonallscanners.Placethebookonthecradle,makefineadjustments,pressthescanheadandreviewtheresultsonthemonitor–eachmovementtransitionsseamlesslyintothenext.
AndreasMlckbelievesthatefficientoperationsareindispensabletosatisfythehighstandardsthelibrarysetsitself.Hedescribestheworkloadasverygood.Astafftotalling24isemployedinthedigitisationcentre,20ofwhomworkasscanoperators.
TheBerlinStateLibraryiscurrentlyengagedindefiningamasterplanforthecomingfivetotenyears.Itwillspecifythemainthrustinthecontentofdigitisationactivities.Thelibraryneedsarejustaspivotaltotheconsiderationsastheculturalandpoliticalhighlights.