16th century documents to be digitised
Documents dating back to the 16th century are being brought to the digital age in a project being carried out by the Notarial Archives in Malta and the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library of the St John’s University in the US.
Launching the project this morning, Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi said that the pikor project would digitise some of the oldest document at the Notarial Archives in St Christopher Street, Valletta. These documents would then be placed at the disposal of researchers on the internet. Students following the Library, Information and Archive Studies course at the university would be helping with the project.
Dr Azzopardi said that concrete measures were being taken for the first time towards the preservation of these treasures, which were a mine of information on the social life of the Maltese in the past.
Once the project was concluded, the results would be examined with the aim of continuing with the archiving process in a systematic manner, Dr Azzopardi said.
To preserve the documents, each page would be digitally photographed and placed in a database.
Although it was the government’s intention to place the documents on the internet, the Notarial Archives would retain copyright.
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Robert Mizzi
Mar 7th 2010, 19:15
This is definitely an important initiative that aims to make our cultural heritage more accessible. The emphasis should be placed on both preservation and accessibility and these digitised items should also be made accessible through Europeana. This project launched last year is still practically devoid of items emanating from Malta. A few questions were raised about this initially but unfortunately no one seems to be bothered by this fact!
Laurence Zerafa
Mar 3rd 2010, 20:41
The Malta Library and Information Association (MaLIA www.malia-malta.org) welcomes this important initiative and congratulates all parties concerned for coming together to safeguard another aspect of our rich cultural heritage. Well done .
Laurence Zerafa
Chairperson MaLIA
Galea. L
Mar 3rd 2010, 17:00
Excellent.
Al least we will have a record if God forbid something had to happen to the archives.
I am sure that they will be a mine of information for students and researchers apart from legal research.
M Cassar
Mar 3rd 2010, 14:54
Well done. A great initiative...we need more of Malta's history ont he internet and digital world!! wake up these are things that also attract tourists.
Joseph V. Grech
Mar 3rd 2010, 14:28
Excellent initiative. Well done parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi!