THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ON THEORY AND PRACTICE OF LIBRARIANSHIP
eISSN 2217-5563 ISSN (Print) 2217-5555
 





Ћирилица Latinica English
 


Aleksandra Drapšin
Biblioteka Matice srpske, Novi Sad
adrapsin@bms.ns.ac.rs

doi:10.19090/cit.2021.39.88-93
No. 39 (November 2021), p. 88-93


Presentation of Old Books in the Digital MSL


Summary

The Matica Srpska Library owns rich and valuable collections of old and rare books. Digitization, which was launched in 2006, is the continuation of the ongoing efforts of the experts of this library to collect, store, protect, describe, and present rare library materials. The Digital MSL web presentation was set up on September 20, 2011. During the last decade, a total of 31,555 publications (1,746,908 pages) have been entered into the database. At present, it is one of the largest digital libraries in Serbia. The digitization of old library materials was a priority from the very beginning. The 4,066 items of old manuscripts and printed books, as well as small prints, have been compiled in nine collections: Manuscripts, Serbian Books from the 15th to 17th Century; Serbian Books in the 18th Century; Serbian Books from 1801 to 1867; Foreign Books from the 15th to 17th Century; Foreign Books from the 18th to 19th Century; Announcements; Ads; Small Prints. The most numerous collection, which comprises 2,741 items, is Serbian Books from 1801 to 1867. The works of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić have had the largest number of views, not only among the old books but in the entire Digital Library. The most frequently read book is Life and Customs of the Serbian People (Vienna, 1867), with 16,185 views. The works of Dositej Obradović, Jovan Rajić, Zaharije Orfelin, Đura Daničić, and others have had a large number of views as well. Linking digital copies with the electronic and printed catalogues provides additional information about the stored cultural goods for the users. The Digital MSL presentation has given global access to the Serbian cultural heritage.


Keywords:

Digital MSL, old manuscripts, old printed books, old library materials, rarities, digitization, digital libraries


Submitted: 10th November 2021
Correction to the manuscript: 18th November 2021
Accepted for publication: 19th November 2021

Creative Commons License
Presentation of Old Books in the Digital MSL by Aleksandra Drapšin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


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