GOOD PRACTICE FORM FOR NOMINATIONS

We propose to start the activity of the workgroup on 'good practice' proposing an initial set of some main areas where to put the nominations. In particular we think to start with the basic issue of digitisation itself.
Each project can be 'nominated' for more than one area, following your evaluation of the most important features contained in the example.

AREAS for nominations of 'good practice' for on-going projects on digitisation:
1.	Preservation of physical objects via digitisation and electronic surrogates.
2.	High quality of the digitisation process.
3.	Metadata and Thesaurus.
4.	Usability of project results.
5.	Management of the process and workflow
6.	Accessibility including copyright issues and web sites

For each project please specify:

•	Area of 'good practice' where you like to nominate your project (you can put more than only one area):  softwares for efficient workflow,  digitisation of microfilms
•	
•	Name:
 Digital historical newspaper Library 1771-1860 (ready), continuing to 1890

•	Responsible body and/or any specific : Helsinki University Library (HUL)
Co-ordinating body/mechanism: HUL/Centre for Microfilming and Conservation

•	Contact person: Majlis Bremer-Laamanen

•	Web site:http:// digi.lib.helsinki.fi . The Nordic library: http://tiden.kb.se

•	Description of the project, objectives and priorities: see attachment. In short a Nordic Digital Newspaper Library was launched in October, 2001. The Finnish Digital Library includes all (40) newspapers from 1771-1860. Full-text search is added to the Gothic and Roman text fonts. Article search is included. 
•	The main technical features for what you consider the project a 'good practice' example:
1. Work flow in a complicated OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process.
2. Half-automatic indexing of metadata on pages into XML-files (software development).
3. Automatic digitisation of microfilmed newspaper images of many sizes (software development).

•	Long term sustainability strategy:

1.	Using an open – hardware and software independent scalable database-structure.
2.	LTO-tapes are used for long term back up.
3.	Microfilms are the real long term solution, from which the information easily can be recovered to other formats in due time.

•	Accessibility by users via local network or Internet (describe modalities and IPR issue from a technical point of view):

 Accessibility via the Internet.

•	Problems encountered :

The libraries in the Nordic countries were depending on the IT solutions made in their libraries. 

Comments: 

A deeper search procedure is sought for among the libraries. The work is continuing in the member libraries. In Finland the Ministry of Education is still funding the Finnish Digital Newspaper Project, which will contain all newspapers from 1771 to 1890 and cover over 1 million pages.

Figures and documents enclosed:

A speech held in London, British Library, Newsplan Conference, April 9th 2002 about the Nordic Digital Newspaper Project.

I agree this information could be published/

                            x  Yes 
                               No

Organisation & person completing the questionnaire

•	Formal name of organisation:
Helsinki University Library – The National Library of Finland. Centre for Microfilming and Conservation

•	Type of organisation:
National Library

•	Field of action:	Archive / Library / Museum / Foundation / others ….
•	Library

•	Address: Main address: PL 15 Unioninkatu 36, 00014 HELSINKI UNIVERSITY. Finland 

•	Name of director:
Kai Ekholm

•	Name and role of person completing the questionnaire:
•	Majlis Bremer-Laamanen

•	Tel: +358 15 321 1220

•	Fax: + 358 15 321 1234

•	Web site: www.lib.helsinki.fi

•	E-mail: Majlis.Bremer-Laamanen@helsinki.fi

Date:7.5.2002