Programs and Projects

2013-01-15

National programs and projects

Libraries for Innovation. The project, implemented in 2008-2012, ensures better use of free of charge public Internet services for the Lithuanian population through strengthening and using the capacities of public libraries. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lithuanian Government, coordinated by the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania, and implemented by the National Library of Lithuania and. The National Library of Lithuania shall support the project’s continuity.
Lithuanian Integral Library Information System (LIBIS). The Project is being implemented by the National Library from 1996, following strategic goals and priorities of the institution and the country. The Project aims at development of information services to the society and preservation of cultural values. The LIBIS information system consists of LIBIS databases and software modules providing integration of information resources to The European Library. The LIBIS software is installed in 5 county public libraries, 60 municipal public libraries, 1 higher school library and Communication faculty of the Vilnius University (for education purposes), 7 other big and special libraries, 10 museum libraries. The main task of the investment project is an extension of LIBIS infrastructure and further development of LIBIS software. The main system functions are already implemented. These are: automation of stock registration, control, acquisition processes; collection, storage, processing, systematizing and publicizing of data on publications; creation of electronic catalogues of publications; possibilities of integration of databases containing information about Lithuanian libraries’ collections into the world-wide catalogues.
Reading Promotion Programme. The Programme aims for reading promotion for population of various ages and social groups, developing their reading skills and rising reading prestige. The Programme is funded by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.

International programs and projects

The European Library. The portal of European National Libraries information resources was launched on initiative of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL). From 2007 the National Library of Lithuania is a full participant of The European Library. From 2008 the Library participates in the programme of creation of European Digital Library initiated by The European Library.
TELplus. (October 1, 2007 – December 31, 2009) was a project tutored by the CENL Consortium and funded by the European Commission under eContentplus Programme. This is another step of creation of the European Digital Library (EDL). Implementation of the Project will result in improvement of internet services of The European Library (TEL) and enhanced possibilities of access to European digitized cultural heritage.
TEL-ME-MOR. (February 1, 2005 – February 1, 2007) was a project funded by the European Commission. The main outcome of the project – supporting the 10 national libraries from the New Member States to become the full members of The European Library and to integrate their information resources into The European Library portal.
EIFL. An independent foundation EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) supports and advocates for the wide availability of electronic resources by library users in transitional and developing countries, negotiates licensing of various data bases, supports library consortia of countries participating in foundation activities. The National Library co-ordinates EIFL activity in Lithuania and, together with other Lithuanian libraries, participates in foundation activity since 1999.
Libraries for Information Access for Elder People
Coordinator: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Partners:
Latvian Adult Education Association (LAEA);
Tallinn University Institute of Information Studies;
Kobenhavns Universitet Institut for Engelsk, Germansk og Romansk Translation Centre;
UAB LearnKey (technical partner).
Project period: Start date: 2012-09-01; Duration in months: 20.
The Project is financed by NordPlus Framework Programme; total budget 65,670 Euros, Nordplus contribution 49,253 Euros, own contribution 16,417 Euros.
Elder people who are not digitally included find it hard to use IT based library services, like electronic resources, music archives, online book order systems etc. Therefore the goal of the project is to create online interactive, multimedia based training module for elder people to improve their ICT skills for better usage of e-services that are provided by the libraries. This training module with specific topics for elder people will be accessible on the internet platform, integrated into public libraries web pages, and disseminated via public libraries. The module would be available in all partner languages (Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian, Danish) and English for easier translation purposes. This course will be easily adjustable to local needs. Moreover, this project develops stronger social organizations, like libraries that provides public services, through capacity building, as well as develops social capacity and decreases social exclusion of elder people.

Projects funded by EU Structural Funds

Investment project “Development of Interactive Electronic Services for Ordering and Receiving of Editions and Publications at Public Libraries”. The Project aimed at development of electronic services that are rendered by public libraries, related to search, order, receiving and return of documents on a self-service basis. The project was implemented in 2009-2011 within the operational program Economic Growth, Priority 3: Information Society for All, No. VP2-3.1-IVPK-01, included in the list of national projects “E-government services”. For the implementation of the project, collaboration agreement was signed between the National Library of Lithuania and JSC “Sintagma”, which represented JSC “ATEA”, JSC “Ernst & Young Baltic”, JSC “Sisneta” and JSC “Kopijavimo sistemos” under the joint activity agreement. Software for electronic services was provided and installed at all libraries using Lithuanian Integrated Library Information System LIBIS.
Investment project “Development of Virtual Electronic Heritage System”. The Project‘s goal is ensuring continuity of the creation and access of Lithuanian cultural heritage content by developing the virtual electronic heritage system. This Project consolidates efforts of diverse memory institutions to achieve a common goal – providing the most possible broad access to the cultural heritage for users of Lithuania and the whole world, and is a follow-up of the 2005–2008 project “Creation of the Integrated Virtual Library Information System”. The data bank of the established integrated virtual system www.epaveldas.lt now contains over 3 million pages of most valuable old books, newspapers, artworks, manuscripts and church registers. The following goals will be reached after the project’s accomplishment: the number of project partners will increase; digitization activities will continue (2,295,506 pages of documents preserved in archives, libraries and museums, 17,500 images from the Lithuanian Art Museum and 11,000 musical works (sound recordings of total duration of 71,580 minutes) are intended to be digitized and delivered into the data bank and onto the portal “epaveldas.lt”); and electronic services will be further developed. The Project’s accomplishment will solve the following issues: • cultural heritage objects preserved in memory institutions will be transferred to the electronic space, thus deterioration of their content will be prevented; • preservation of information and better access to it; • increased currency and visibility of cultural heritage objects; • provision of convenient access to digital heritage objects within the data bank of the Virtual Electronic Heritage System. More about the Project >>>

Lithuanian periodicals microfilming project is executed since 1996 together with the Library of Congress (U.S.A.).

Documents exchange programs

The National Library of Lithuania provides international documents exchange with libraries and various institutions from 38 countries. The Library also participates in the following exchange programs: Journal Donation Project (U.S.A.), Русское зарубежье (Russian Federation), Фонд содействия развитию культурных центров за рубежом(Russian Federation), etc. The National Library participates in creation and supplying of data to:

Nordic/Baltic union catalogue of serials NOSP.
Index translationum, published by UNESCO (bibliographic information about translations into the Lithuanian language).
RILM data base (papers on Lithuanian musicological literature).
RISM Series A/II: Music Manuscripts after 1600 (the records include information in standard bibliographic categories as well as graphical images of searchable music incipits).