Digitization centre inaugurated at National Library of Moldova

Chisinau, 23 February /MOLDPRES/ - The Embassy of Japan in Chisinau, the Culture Ministry and the National Library (BNRM) today inaugurated the National Digitization Centre at BNRM – a cultural project backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).    

Attending the event were Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Turcanu, Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan, Ambassador of Japan to Moldova Yoshihiro Katayama, a JICA technical manager in Moldova, Mariana Stratulat, other officials.   

In his speech, Iurie Turcanu said that it is quite important to turn to account the cultural heritage of Moldova. Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan stressed that the centre would create access to all users from all over Moldova. At the same time, the Japanese ambassador to Moldova stressed that his country had provided technical assistance to Moldova since 1993 and that this event took place on the National Day of Japan.    

According to BNRM director Elena Pintilei, the National Digitization Centre is set up based on the section of Digital Collections of Moldova’s National Library. The centre’s technical equipment was possible due to the project on the improvement of the equipment of digitization at BNRM, backed by the government of Japan through JICA, Cultural Projects.    

Advanced digitization equipment was purchased within the project grant: four scanners for the process of digitization of publications in diverse formats; two PCs adjacent to the scanners and three working stations; one server for the stocking and long-term preservation of the publications scanned and specifications necessary for the ensuring the long-term work. The carriage and setting of the equipment and the training of staff was ensured within the project.   

The grant worth more than 7,000,000 lei is the biggest project implemented by BNRM and will ensure the continuity of the development and spread of the digitized content of Moldova’s cultural heritage. The digital copies created will be transferred in electronic space, thus protecting the content of the heritage objects, the enhancement of the accessibility, as well as ensuring the access to the cultural heritage in interest of education, research, creation and leisure.

”Through the setting up of the National Digitization Centre, the National Library of Moldova assumes the important role in the digitization of the cultural heritage, thus contributing to the creation of the digital cultural identity of Moldova in the virtual space,’’ Elena Pintilei added.