Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz cooperates with Polish National Library in preserving and digitising collections
Press release from 06/21/2011
The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz and the Biblioteka Narodowa - Polish National Library will cooperate in the future in the areas of processing and preserving the common cultural heritage and digitising their library collections. Barbara Schneider-Kempf, Director General of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, and Tomasz Makowski, Director of the Polish National Library, signed a cooperation agreement to this effect in Warsaw today. The agreement was initiated by the culture ministers of both countries and is part of the 20th anniversary of the German-Polish Neighbourhood Treaty of 17 June 1991.
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, commented: "The agreement was preceded by years of contact at working level. I am delighted that we will now intensify and further expand these on a solid contractual basis."
Future joint projects will focus on digitisation projects relating to works that are part of the shared German-Polish cultural heritage, as well as joint exhibition projects. It was also agreed to exchange experiences in collection development, restoration, bibliographical processing and issues relating to the accessibility of foreign publications. Staff exchanges between the two libraries are also to be promoted. The aim is also to intensify cooperation in the field of research and in the organisation of academic conferences.
The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, which is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year, is the largest academic universal library in the German-speaking world. It has a high level of expertise, not least in the area of collection preservation. Digitisation and the worldwide, free provision of library holdings via the Internet is a long-term project of the Staatsbibliothek with top priority, to the success of which the new cooperation with the Polish National Library will also contribute.
The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) as a whole is particularly committed to making cultural assets accessible in digital form due to its interdisciplinary character. All of its institutions carry out digitisation projects, often as part of academic projects. The SPK is also involved in "Europeana", the European digital library, as well as in the national project "Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek" (DDB), whose office is located at the SPK and whose board spokesman is Foundation President Hermann Parzinger.
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