Library of Virginia Digital Projects

[Elizabeth Roderick]

                        The Library of Virginia

                         Digital Library Projects

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the completion of
Phase I of its Digital Library Project. The Project, initiated in
1995, preserves significant Virginia archival and library
collections and extends access to these collections to anyone with
Internet access. The Project is available via the Library of
Virginia Home Page (http://leo.vsla.edu/lva/lva.html). Over 600,000
images were scanned, and 40 electronic finding aids were created to
access the images as well as other materials in the Library's
collection. The major components of Phase I are the Virginia
Colonial Records Project, the U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph
Collection, the collection of family Bible records, and the
Electronic Card Indexes Project (indexes to 36 separate archival
and library collections). The Library used existing and emerging
technologies in imaging  and document preservation, as well as
current MARC standards, throughout the project.

The Electronic Card Index Project digitized and preserved more than
850,000 deteriorating catalog cards, comprising 36 unique finding
aids to archival and library collections. These images are indexed
via a VTLS, Inc. search engine originally developed for the
Princeton University card catalog. High-resolution scanning
processes preserved these rare finding aids which were previously
available only to on-site library patrons. More than 500,000
microfilm images of the Library's Land Office Patent and Grants
collection were scanned and will be linked to the corresponding
electronic card index.

The Virginia Colonial Records Project was established in the 1950s
to survey and reconstitute Virginia's colonial documentary history
located in more than 100 British and European repositories. The
Library's bibliographic index contains references to more than
500,000 personal names and ship names found in 28,000 pages of
Survey Reports which describe the archival holdings located in the
various repositories. Links from the index to the digitized images
of the Survey Reports are via an HTML Gateway utilizing the MARC
856 field.
 
The Library's extensive family Bible Records collection is often
the only source of Virginia vital statistics prior to 1853 and from
1896 through 1912. A bibliographic index to this collection already
exists. All of the Library's 100,000 Bible records have been
scanned, and the images will be linked to the index via the MARC
856 field.

The U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection consists of 3,500
black and white photographs taken during World War II at the
Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. Signal Corps photographers and
port historians documented the enormous amount of activity which
took place at this major military center.  MARC records were
created from the extensive captions that accompanied each
photograph. The scanned images of the photographs are linked to
these records, and the database is keyword searchable by personal
name, ship name, place name, and other terms.
 
Phase II of the Project, scheduled for completion by September,
1996, will provide an additional one million digital images of
historic archival and library documents, as well as new electronic
finding aids.

The Library consulted with VTLS, Inc. regarding collection
identification, appropriate storage media, preservation methods,
and scanning techniques.  Library staff also worked with VTLS to
develop and implement all imaging, quality control and cataloging
processes for the project.  The VTLS Virtua-Web Gateway provides
the HTML interface for The Library's bibliographic databases,
digital images, and Electronic Card Catalogs.

The Library of Virginia also sponsors the Virginia Library and
Information Network (VLIN), providing Internet access and services
for more than 3,000 Virginia librarians located in more than 550
libraries.

For more information about the Digital Library Project, contact
Elizabeth Roderick, Project Coordinator, The Library of Virginia,
email: eroderic at leo.vsla.edu  phone: (804) 786-2975. 
-- 
Elizabeth Roderick                              email (eroderic at leo.vsla.edu)
Assistant Director, Library Development         voice (804) 786-2975
  and Networking Division                       fax   (804) 225-4608
The Library of Virginia                         home  (804) 231-1774   
11th at Capitol Square                                      
Richmond, VA  23219

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                   http://leo.vsla.edu/lva/lva.html
                  The LVA Digital Library Initiative
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