The Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University continues the commemoration of its 50th anniversary with a new exhibit, “Biblio-Tech-A: Digital Collections at BYU,” located at the Level 3 exhibit space. From now until April 22, there will be live demonstrations every weekday from 2 to 4 p.m. showing patrons how these unique artifacts become digitized.
“The library invests significant resources in making its collections accessible and easy to use. One of the ways we do this is by digitizing rare books, photographs and journals for online access,” said Elizabeth Smart, assistant librarian and curator for this exhibit. “Because these materials can be fragile and valuable, they are kept in secure storage areas. Digitizing these materials makes them available around the clock through any Internet browser.”
Currently, the library’s digital collections have from 300,000 to 400,000 page views each month. Many of the handwritten items have been transcribed for easier keyword searching. This allows students and researchers ready access to materials that would have previously been stored in secure library stacks or off-campus.
Even less conventional materials can be digitized. For example, Mary Farahnakian, a professor in the Theatre and Media Arts Department, has a large collection of costumes and clothing that have been digitized allowing for easier searching and research for her students.
“Biblio-Tech-A: Digital Collections at BYU” is the second of seven exhibits to celebrate the HBLL’s current site. Throughout the year visitors to the Level 3 exhibit space will be able to learn about collecting, preservation and history as well as see some of the treasures of BYU.
For more information, contact Roger Layton at (801) 422-6687 or roger_layton@byu.edu.
Writer: Mel Gardner
