Study visit to Egypt: Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) & National Library and Archives, 18-21 February 2008 Ria Groenewald, Ina Smith & dr Heila Pienaar Library Services, University of Pretoria

BA mission: To be a center of excellence in the production and dissemination of knowledge, and to be a place of dialogue and understanding between cultures and peoples BA goals: The world’s window on Egypt Egypt’s window on the world An instrument for rising to the challenges of the digital age A center for dialogue between peoples and civilizations

Cent For Alex & Med Studies. Director GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE SECRETARIAT SPECIAL ADVISORS INTERNAL AUDIT LIBRARY SERVICES ACADEMIC & CULT AFF. FAP INFO & COMM TECHNOLOGY EXTERNAL RELATIONS Internal Art Program Financial Department ICT Department Pub. Relations Arts Center Library Depart Administrative Department Antiquities Museum ISIS Media Personnel Department Manuscripts Museum Tours Internal Security Department Nat. Cent. For Manuscripts Engineering Department Planetarium & Sc. Museum CULTNAT Cent. For Writing &Calligraphy Cent For Res. &Spec Prog. Cent For Alex & Med Studies. Massive international funding and partnerships

Dr Sohair Wastawy (chief librarian BA), dr Heila Pienaar, Ina Smith, Ria Groenewald Dr Wastaway did not appoint any librarians; she appointed B graduates and trained them in librarianship

Omnia: Director Public Services Lamia: Director Special Libraries Subject librarians are starting to experiment with Library 2

BA complete tour: Antiquities & Manuscript museums, Rare books, Culturama, special libraries …

Manuscripts in BA are copies? Originals in National archives?

Taha Hussein Library for the blind and visually impaired UP on same standard but with less facilities

Culturama: 9 screens & 9 projectors; no sound?

ALEXploratorium

www.bibalex.org/isis Functions in a similar manner as the e-Information Service, but separate from the library section

Ria Groenewald, dr Magdy Nagi (Director ISIS), dr Heila Pienaar, Ina Smith, secretary

ISIS projects (funding, funding funding!!!!) Million book project (75,000 Arabic Books) DigiArab - Large Scale Digitization of Arabic Books (20,000 - 30,000 Arabic Books) Nasser Collection Sadat Collection Description De L’Egypte Collection AMEEL - Arabic and Middle Eastern Electronic Library etc

Internet Archive (copy of the Internet) mirror site - funding

Print on demand (POD): Espresso book machine (prototype) Marketing tip: all their big machines are situated in the library for all to see Print on demand (POD): Espresso book machine (prototype) The future of publishing, libraries & bookshops?

Description de l’ Egypt (screen can be paged – BL) Big screens to view manuscripts etc Description de l’ Egypt (screen can be paged – BL)

Digital workflow software is available as open software; we must implement http://wiki.bibalex.org/DAFWiki/index.php/Main_Page

Digital Lab 24 / 7 operations; international funding and projects e.g. Million book project

Publishing Interface & Viewer (own software) http://dar.bibalex.org

Egypt National Library and Archives, Cairo Howayda: Foreign Cultural Affairs Prof Hilal: Vice Chairman Nat Library & Archives

Italian government responsible for training & equipment Preservation of damaged manuscripts before digitisation Italian government responsible for training & equipment

Digitisation office uses the same hardware and software as Ria; but they do have more staff

Unesco and Library of Congress are taking leadership with this project; both the Bibliotheca Alexandrina & Egypt National Archives & Library are partners. No partners from Southern Africa – we must investigate this possibility http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/17/business/library.php

This very nice lady of the National Library saved Heila’s life by taking her to a KFC – will show you a pamphlet of the new library building. She also gave us a tour of the museum in the Library.

Lessons learned The digitisation office of the Library of UP is functioning on an international standard, but with less facilities and staff and without dedicated office space We are not making use of the international funding and partnerships that are available for digitisation Results of digitisation must be more visible The electronic digitisation workflow must be implemented Should sophisticated preservation be the library’s role, or should we partner with other institutions e.g. the National Library of SA