9/21/12

Grant Will Assist SLU Library With Digital Collection Project

CANTON - St. Lawrence University has been awarded a grant of $8,297 by the Northern New York Library Network to assist the University in improving its collection of digitized versions of items in its library collection.

The University's library plans to digitize its book arts collection, which includes about 350 rare works, from European illuminated manuscripts of the medieval era to Ethiopian parchment scrolls and Japanese accordion-fold books. With grant assistance, library staff will acquire technologies assuring consistent color accuracy of the digital images. Each work selected for inclusion in the project will be represented by three to five images.

When the project is completed, the collection of digital images will be exhibited online and available to the public.

In recent years, the library has made digital images of other collections available, also with support from NNYLN. These digitized manuscript, book, photograph and letter collections have been used extensively by students, faculty, researchers and the general public.

In addition to acquiring new technology, library staff working on the project plans to develop a set of "best practices" that other libraries and institutions may use as a model for implementing similar projects.

The Northern New York Library Network, located in Potsdam, has been assisting libraries in the region develop research resources since 1965.

St. Lawrence Libraries website