«Quod non est in rete non est in mundo»: the Trentino digital library proposal

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical reflection on the transition that several libraries are increasingly required to face, which involves the digitisation of their ancient and historical heritage. The totality of choices that leads to the decision of ‘what’ to digitise can still be regarded as an essential step in the selection and management of our book heritage – a practice already valued in the past, although differently achieved nowadays thanks to different technologies. Hence, the article offers a feasible method for those libraries – addressing especially small and medium-sized institutions – that are currently working on digitisation projects and wish to (better) understand how to make such choices. In this sense, it seems necessary to focus on what, culturally speaking, can be regarded as the most ‘substantial’ items in relation to each specific collection preserved by the library.
Finally, the article introduces the Biblioteca digitale trentina, a website that combines several digitisation projects; thanks to some methodologically innovative features, it constitutes a unique digital ecosystem where to explore different materials (such as manuscripts, printed works, iconography, photographs), while enabling the user to make detailed queries or consult records with specific details regarding each digitised copy.