(openPR) - The National Library of Latvia (NLL) and European Regional Development Fund has began mass digitization of NLL collection in the „Digital Library of Latvia – part 2” project. The first part of project involves scanning of NLL collection and the next phase is segmentation of records so that the electronically processed Library material is compatible with search options. Segmentation is managed by CCS Content Conversion Specialists (Germany).
“CCS software and services” are helping to digitize several million book and newspaper pages. This is another step forward made by the NLL in digitization matters. This way, the NLL is becoming a role model in making cultural heritage available to everyone. "We are proud to be working with an institution as renowned as the NLL and are pleased that our docWORKS technology covers the requirements of the library and, consequently, also the needs of its users," says Daniel Lanz, Managing Director of CCS. "NLL’s decision to use our product reinforces our ambition of designing sustainable technologies for information accessibility."
Also on board for this exciting project is LETA, Latvian national news agency which will be acting as conversion service provider. The cooperation has been excellent from the beginning, with LETA quickly incorporating docWORKS technology into its digitization workflow. “For LETA, this is a strategically new area of operation, and the agency is committed to further developing it in the future,” says Mārtiņš Barkāns, Chairman of the Board of LETA.
It is quite paradoxical that although this work is computerized, it could never be accomplished without human contribution. Such as in one week, 50 000 newspaper pages are being processed, and one worker can process 1 000 pages per day. A team consisting of ca. 50 people has been assigned to this project.
„Digital Library of Latvia – part 2”, carried out by NLL and European Regional Development Fund, will open new possibilities for all users of the Library. The entire project will be available to the public in the middle of 2012, however, a prototype of this project is already available at www.periodika.lv. Right now, the site provides a total of 350 000 pages of last century newspapers.

bout CCS:
CCS Content Conversion Specialists is one of the global leaders in making information accessible through the use of document digitisation and conversion. The company covers both the technology and services aspects. It has its headquarters in Hamburg, however the CCS group’s employees work in Germany, England, Romania and the USA. CCS develops software solutions that enable automatic digitisation processes for digital press reviews, media monitoring, digital libraries and digital long term preservation. It ranks international press clipping bureaus, large firms and national libraries among its customers. For more information visit us at www.content-conversion.com
About NLL:
The National Library of Latvia (NLL) was established on August 29, 1919. NLL mission is to promote the development of an educated, informed individual and the intellectual and spiritual growth of the society by developing collections of information resources, ensuring high quality access to them and by coordinating the national network of libraries.
The core of the collection of more than 4 million units is national and foreign publications about Latvia and Latvians and publications of Latvian authors. The eternal storage and long-term access to the NLL collection is the main task of the Library.
Letonica the National Digital Library of Latvia formed in 2006 ensures the wider access to the values of national heritage. In 2007 NLL was included in the National Register of Research Institutions. The accreditation of the Training Centre in 2008 emphasizes the support for higher education, research and life-long learning.

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