University Library “Svetozar Marković” Digital Library – From Scanned Pages to Searchable Collections

Abstract

The University Library “Svetozar Marković” established its first digital repository in 2008, which enabled the creation of a primary collection of digital material and provided users with access to valuable content by scanning materials from the Library's collection and creating images in JPG and PDF formats. Shortly afterward, the Library became actively involved in various international cultural heritage digitization projects that enabled it to present its treasure ​​to users from around the world. It was the beginning of the second phase of digitization, characterized by the formation of the first searchable digital newspaper collection in 2015. The third, and so far the last, phase of digitalization represented the beginning of the process of digital democracy, which primarily included the expansion of available digital content in cooperation with other cultural and scientific institutions in the country. These activities resulted in the creation of the portal called Searchable Digital Library. In addition to saving resources, time, money, and increasing the quality of library services, the association with other institutions also contributes to the promotion of authentic content, thus increasing the visibility of libraries’ local history collections.