Digitization: BAnQ, BnF and the Canadian Museum of History publish a long-anticipated compendium of best practices

Montréal, November 26, 2014 – The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) announce the publication of a collection of best practices in digitization entitled Recueil de règles de numérisation, the result of a fruitful partnership.

The purpose of the Recueil de règles de numérisation is to align digitization practices throughout La Francophonie. The publication has been much anticipated in the fields of library science, archiving and museology, as well as by many government departments and agencies that digitize their collections of historical, rare and valuable documents.

The only publication of its kind

Digitization equipment is relatively easy to access and to use – this has led to a proliferation of stakeholders in the field, often at the expense of good quality final products. To guarantee better quality digitization, a number of institutions have responded by each developing their own compendium of technical specifications. The BAnQ, BnF and Canadian Museum of History initiative meets a pressing need for standardized practices and covers all aspects of documentary heritage.

The publication is distinctive in that its records are organized by document type and illustrated by real examples. The records explain in detail how to digitize a wide range of heritage objects like newspapers, maps and drawings, manuscripts, photo negatives, slides, microforms, large-scale objects, clothing and objects with multiple components.

The guide is intended primarily for operators of digitization equipment but contains valuable information for anyone responsible for digitizing collections.

This free publication can be consulted online on the websites of all three institutions, at banq.qc.ca, bnf.fr and historymuseum.ca. It is currently only available in French — an English edition is in preparation and will be available soon.

About BAnQ
As the largest cultural institution in Quebec in terms of its attendance and diversified missions and as an essential pillar of our knowledge society, the mandate of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is to offer democratic access to culture and knowledge. To this end, it brings together, preserves and highlights Quebec’s and Quebec-related heritage materials, and also provides the services of a major public library. BAnQ carries out its mandate in 12 facilities which are open to the public: the Grande Bibliothèque, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal and BAnQ Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie in Montréal; BAnQ Gaspé, BAnQ Gatineau, BAnQ Québec, BAnQ Rimouski, BAnQ Rouyn-Noranda, BAnQ Saguenay, BAnQ Sept-Îles, BAnQ Sherbrooke and BAnQ Trois-Rivières.

About BnF
The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) collects, conserves and raises awareness concerning French documentary heritage. BnF collections are unique the world over: 14 million books and periodicals, as well as manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps and drawings, scores, currency, medals, audio material, videos, multimedia, decor, costumes, and more. All intellectual, artistic and scientific disciplines are represented at BnF in a comprehensive way. About 150,000 documents are added to the collections every year through legal deposits, acquisitions and donations. Today, the BnF digital library, Gallica, provides access to over three million documents.

About the Canadian Museum of History
Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture.

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Patricia Lynch
Director, Corporate Affairs
Canadian Museum of History
819-776-7167
patricia.lynch@historymuseum.ca

Claire-Hélène Lengellé
Media Relations Officer
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
514-873-1101 extension 3199
ch.lengelle@banq.qc.ca

Hélène Crenon
Press Relations Officer
Bibliothèque nationale de France
01 53 79 46 76
helene.crenon@bnf.fr