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The Qatar Heritage Rare Book Project Digitization & Online Publication of Treasures from the Arabian Gulf. Gabrielle V. Michalek Archives/Digital Library Initiatives. Main Points. Background Qatar’s Heritage Library Project timeline Intellectual control Digitization equipment
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The Qatar Heritage Rare Book ProjectDigitization & Online Publicationof Treasures from the Arabian Gulf Gabrielle V. Michalek Archives/Digital Library Initiatives
Main Points • Background • Qatar’s Heritage Library • Project timeline • Intellectual control • Digitization equipment • Quality control |managing character sets • Information management system
Background • Carnegie Mellon in Qatar • Carnegie Mellon’sMillion Book Project • The Heritage Library
Heritage Library • Located in Doha, Qatar • Focus on Western perceptions • Books, maps, journals, newspapers • Multiple languages • Many Qur’ans • 120,000 items • Less than 10% are unique or rare
Project Timeline • Pilot Project, 2007 (8 months) • Full Project 2007-2010
Pilot Project • Divide library into Rare and General Collections • Select 300 Rare and 5,000 General works • Mr. Kiran Kumar will be responsible for digitizing General Collection • Put all digitized materials into one information management system
Intellectual Control • Library is currently cataloged in a FileMaker Pro database • Need for OCLC cataloging • Two possible approaches: • Onsite item cataloging • Catalog from digital image
Digitization Equipment • Rare Collection • i2S Digibook Scanner • 300 DPI, 24-bit color • General Collection • Zeutschel Book Copiers • 600 DPI, B&W
Quality Control • Images will be post-processed • Post-processed files will be OCRd • Files will be converted to searchable PDFs
Managing Character Sets • Collection is primarily English and Arabic • Some German, French, Hebrew, Farsi • OCR for English is pretty accurate • Arabic script is difficult to OCR • Improving OCR forArabic is a project goal المستوى لإقامة وتطوير أفضل المراكز العلمية والتعليمية بغية تعزيز طاقات المجتمع كما أنه يراقب التقدم المحرز ويوفر النصائح لمشاريع المدينة التعليمية الحالية مثل برنامج الجسر الأكاديمي وأكاديمية قطر وجامعة فرجينيا كومنولث - كلية فنون التصميم في قطر ومعهد راند قطر للسياسات وجامعة تكساس إيه أند
Info Management System • Sirsi/Dynix Digital Library System • Searches • For the work • For the content • Will have an Arabic interface
Conclusion • Project will use best practices to digitize, access and preserve Qatar heritage • Bring unique collection to researchers outside of Qatar • Share Arabic culture with the world All images used in this talk are from Her Highness’ web site: http://www.mozahbintnasser.qa/
Thank You • Qatar Foundation • Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned • Project Team • Dr. Raj Reddy • Dr. Gloriana St. Clair • Dr. Chuck Thorpe
Contact • Gabrielle V. MichalekHead, Archives/Digital Library InitiativesCarnegie Mellon University Librariesgabrielle@cmu.edu