IWR reports on the release of the British Library Turning the Pages software to a wider audience. I was lucky enough to be at a roadshow on British Library technical developments in March, held in the National Museum of Scotland. (As an aside – Boy, do those people know how to make a great goodie bag…messenger bag, notepad, funky folding cube of notable images from holdings, there was even a big bar of chocolate!).
I was practically drooling at the lovelyness of it all! I really wished that my former workplace would be able to afford the insane cost of digitising (and then the ongoing hosting of the digitised material) any of their historical collection, but it’s out of the reach of most libraries without a very wealthy patron…which is why when I read the IWR post I was reminded about the BL competition for public libraries, one from each area of Britain, to have a “hidden treasure” from their collection digitised.
The entries closed on the 29 June 2007….shortlisted entrants will be invited to an awards ceremony at the BL in early September. I’m dying to find out what amazing books will be made accessible through this!
Dumpling in a Hanky 