Digitisation, cataloguing and provenance description of the Alvensleben Library

• Applicant: Anke Berghaus-Sprengel
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 540352803

Within the scope of this project, 3,500 prints of the important Alvensleben library are to be indexed and digitized in depth within three years. These historical holdings are one of the most outstanding private book collections of the Renaissance period in Germany. Their overall character has been decisively shaped by the collection development efforts of Joachim I von Alvensleben (1514-1588). The holdings to be processed are mainly prints from the 16th and 17th centuries; the total volume of pages to be digitized is estimated at approximately 1,134,000 pages. The collection will be catalogued according to national bibliographic standards and will also include detailed provenance information at the bibliographic level. In addition to digitization and structuring, which will provide users with more convenient navigation options, an OCR-D component which focuses on the creation of ground truth data completes the project. Permanent and free accessibility of all digitized material created during the project will be guaranteed by the ULB.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)