Opening access to knowledge
Navigating the new digital landscape...
The world's great research libraries are facing exciting challenges, not least the demands created by advances in technology and changing methods of accessing information.
The University Library has been playing a leading role in the international debate on such issues; now two significant donations are enabling it to turn theory into practice, transforming the way it can best support its users. Cambridge is a leader in the field of digital preservation - the challenge of ensuring that vital collections of irreplaceable electronic information and data are accessible from one generation of technology to the next.
A forward looking and generous gift from an anonymous American benefactor has allowed the Library to appoint a Digital Preservation and Digitisation Specialist to develop and implement its strategy, and is helping to ensure that electronic information is future-proofed and that collections become more easily accessible by being digitised.
This initiative has been complemented by a generous benefaction from The Arcadia Fund, which has established the Arcadia Fellowship Programme. The international Fellows undertake innovative projects to help transform academic library services and include young rising stars like Lihua Zhu, who is developing a science portal - an electronic "one-stop shop" on the web. These benefactions are benefiting users all over the world, through the dissemination of expertise and the safeguarding of ancient and modern research materials for the use of future generations.
