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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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The Digitization Project of the Jewish National and University LibraryProgress Report - 2001

Elhanan Adler

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Description: The first stage of the Jewish National and University Library (JNUL) digitization project

was completed in 2000. JNUL finished digitizing, cataloging, and creating internet-accessibility of the library’s unique ketubbot collection.

Work is currently underway on several additional stages of this project

including digitization of both video and audio materials. The lecture will cover the technical and bibliographic issues

connected with this project.

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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The Jewish National and University Library Digitization Project has been made possible

through a generous donation from the

David and Fela Shapell Family

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Year 1 – 1999/2000

• Project planning (What? How? Where?)

• Infrastructure and training at JNUL photographic and IT departments

• Initial project: ketubbotcollection

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Year 2 – 2000/2001

• Completion of JNUL ketubbotcollection and expansion of project to other ketubbot collections

• Digitization of Jewish National Sound Archives [ha-fonoteka ha-le’umit] (underway)

• Laor Map Collection: Maps of Jerusalem Project (underway)

• Community Registers / Pinkase Kehillot Project (underway)

• Talmudic Manuscripts Project (underway)

• Purchase of large capacity file server

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Adding Additional Collections to the Ketubbot Project

• Goal: creation of a worldwide database and digital repository of ketubbot

• Two private collections already incorporated

• Initial agreement with several additional collections (private and institutional)

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Ketubbot Project

First Virtual Exhibit in Preparation:

Jerusalem in KetubbaDecorations

By Prof. Shalom Zabar

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Jewish National Sound Archives

• Archive contains approx. 7000 hrs. of recordings, primarily ethno-musicological field recordings

• Various recording formats, some at high preservation risk

• Project both for preservation and access

• Most recordings accompanied by detailed documentation

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Stage 1: nearing completion

• Digitizing of approx 1100 hours of recordings on PCM “Beta”cassettes

• Recordings converted to both wav and mp3 formats

• Storage requirements: – WAV – approx. 10 mb/min.– MP3 – approx. 1 mb/min.

• Initial sample on Internet

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Next stage

• Acetate magnetic tapes: field recordings

• Acetate phonograph records– Field recordings– Rare commercial recordings– Kol Yisrael broadcast recordings

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Laor Map Collection

• Initial Project: 280 Ancient Maps of Jerusalem

• In collaboration with the Hebrew U. Dept. of Geography

• Each map: metadata + initial grid map + individual segments (zoom)

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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CN LAOR 1064AU LANGLOIS, NICOLASAE ADRICHOM, CHRISTIAN VANTL L'ancienne ville de HiervsalemPL ParisPB Nicholas LangloisFY 1640YR [1640]CO 342x505 mm., copperplateLN FREMT MAPSH Jerusalem. 1640NN Imaginary planNN An exact copy of Adrichom's plan of Jerusalem (published

in 1584), with the same illustrations, but on a reducedscale.

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Community Registers(Pinkase Kehillot)

• Historical/Genealogical mss. From the JNUL collection

• First mss: Frankfurt Memorbuch: 1628-1907

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Talmudic Manuscripts Project

• Goal: Presentation of all important Talmudic manuscripts with tractate+page index

• In collaboration with the Hebrew University Dept. of Talmud

• Already have agreement of many major repositories

• First mss.: Kaufmann Mishnah(Budapest)

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Project Years 3+

• Continuation of ongoing projects

• 19th-early 20th Century EretzIsrael Hebrew Newspapers

• JNUL: Major manuscripts• JNUL: Albert Einstein Archives• Selected items from the Institute

of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts [where permitted]

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Watch this address:

http://jnul.huji.ac.il

Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention of the

Association of Jewish Libraries (La Jolla, CA - June 24-27, 2001)

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Elhanan Adler is the Director of the Israel Center for Digital Information Services (the consortium of the Israel University libraries) and Coordinator

of the Israel Universities Library Network. He also lectures in librarianship at the Hebrew

University’s Graduate School of Library, Archive and Information Studies and at Bar-Ilan University Department of Information Studies.