National Library of Scotland selects Hitachi Data Systems to build digital archive

"Hitachi Data Systems has announced that it is supporting the National Library of Scotland in its plans to build a digital archive; allowing it to ramp up its digitisation efforts. The library's Digital Repository, which is starting to be populated with digital copies of the Library's collection of over 14 million items which includes nearly 2 million maps and 100,000 manuscripts, is accessible to public viewers both within and outside Scotland and preserves almost 400 years of the country's historical and cultural heritage. As the legal deposit library for Scotland, NLS is entitled to claim a copy of each one of the 6,000 publications released in Great Britain every week. In 2004 the library adopted a new strategy of 'Breaking through the Walls,' aiming to make its collections more accessible to a wider range of people no matter where they are located. With new titles being added daily, the library needed to ensure that its DR was not only available to current users but also able to grow substantially. The library includes among its collection some extremely valuable historical documents, including the first Scottish books ever printed, so it also had to be secure enough to keep the nation's literary and cultural assets safe for future generations to enjoy" - newswire Today