Christa Müller
Austrian National Library
Holds a Master's degree in German Literature and History from the University of Vienna. During her time at the university she participated in several international research-projects (mainly with CEE-countries). She has been working for the Austrian National Library since 1996. Since 2002 Christa Mueller has been digitization-programme-manager. Thus she designed, organized and oversaw mass-digitization-projects (of newspapers, journals, law gazettes and broadsheets) at the Austrian National Library. She lead a workgroup within the library that developed a digitization strategy for the years 2007-2011. Since January 2008 she is head of the Department Digital Services. Christa Mueller is member of the Digital Library Steering Board of the Austrian National Library. She teaches Digitization and International Library Organizations at the University of Vienna.
Presentation: Digitizing Austrian Newspapers
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Abstract: ANNO (AustriaN Newspapers Online,
http://anno.onb.ac.at/) - the digital newspaper-reading-room of the Austrian National Library - has been online for more than five years now. Historical newspapers fullfill many criteria of the digitisation programme of the library: They were published in Austria, the content focuses on Austria, the Austrian people and the Austrian cultural, political, social and economical past. Moreover, they are in great demand by users and the physical carriers - the paper - is at high risk due to deterioration. Therefore they where a good choice to start digitisation with. Now more than 4,5 million pages attract more than 1400 readers every single day.
This initiative (one million pages is added every year) is also a good example for excellent co-operation of various cultural, scientific and administrative institutions. The presentation will show why especially newspapers are such a good choice for digitisation but also why many challenges are still ahead of us.