The Potential of International Cooperation in the Digitization of Chinese Ancient Books
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Mei Chen
Mei Chen is currently a college lecturer in the information resource management area in Hubei University of Technology. He has been trained in the field of paper conservation and e-government at the School of Economics and Management, Hubei University of Technology. His field of interest includes the protection of ancient books and government informatization.
and
Jiazhen Liu
Jiazhen Liu , born in 1947, is a professor at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, China. She has been engaged in teaching and research for 30 years at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, and has published three monographs on documents preservation and conservation and some articles in this field.
Abstract
This paper probes the particularities of Chinese ancient books (the global dissemination, the complexity of versions, the embrittlement of the paper, and the special methods of binding) and the problems in the existing digitization projects (non-uniformity of retrieval languages and non-uniformity of description standards). The paper reveals the necessity for the digitization of Chinese ancient books and the importance of large-scale international cooperation. The authors finally make recommendations for database models and for the focus of international cooperation.
Zusammenfassung
Die internationale Kooperation zur Digitalisierung historischer chinesischer Bücher
Dieser Beitrag stellt die Besonderheiten von historischen chinesischen Büchern dar (globale Verbreitung, Komplexität der einzelnen Versionen, Versprödung des Papiers und besondere Einbandtechniken) und die existierenden Probleme in diesem Zusammenhang (verschiedene Sprachen bei der Verschlagwortung und verschiedene Standards bei der Beschreibung). In diesem Beitrag wird die Notwendigkeit der Digitalisierung von historischen chinesischen Büchern hervorgehoben, ebenso wie die Bedeutung von breit angelegten internationalen Kooperationen. Die Autoren geben Ratschläge für die Erstellung von Datenbanken und betonen dabei die internationale Kooperation.
Résumé
La coopération internationale dans le cadre de la numérisation des livres historiques chinois
Cet article traite des particularités des livres historiques chinois (leur diffusion mondiale, la complexité des différentes versions, la fragilité du papier et les différentes techniques de reliures) et les problémes qui en résultent pendant leur numérisation, comme par exemple la non uniformisation des langues de recherche et des standards de description.
Cet article décrit la nécessité de la numérisation des livres historiques chinois et l’importance de la coopération internationale.
Les auteurs établissent des recommandations pour des modèles de banque de données et définissent les points forts d’une coopération internationale.
About the authors
Mei Chen is currently a college lecturer in the information resource management area in Hubei University of Technology. He has been trained in the field of paper conservation and e-government at the School of Economics and Management, Hubei University of Technology. His field of interest includes the protection of ancient books and government informatization.
Jiazhen Liu, born in 1947, is a professor at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, China. She has been engaged in teaching and research for 30 years at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, and has published three monographs on documents preservation and conservation and some articles in this field.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Prof. RUAN Lin, the College of Foreign Languages and Literature, Wuhan University, and Carol de Groot, who proofread the English edition and the typesetting of the essay. The authors are responsible for any errors.
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© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Potential of International Cooperation in the Digitization of Chinese Ancient Books
- Reconstituted Parchment: Its Physical Properties and Suitability as a Repair Material for Parchment Bindings
- Entomological and Thermo-Hygrometric Monitoring at the Angelica Library in Rome (Italy)
- Transparent Drawing Supports and Media Applied On It: Chemical Characterisation and Conservation Problems in Spanish Art Deco Jewellery Design
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Potential of International Cooperation in the Digitization of Chinese Ancient Books
- Reconstituted Parchment: Its Physical Properties and Suitability as a Repair Material for Parchment Bindings
- Entomological and Thermo-Hygrometric Monitoring at the Angelica Library in Rome (Italy)
- Transparent Drawing Supports and Media Applied On It: Chemical Characterisation and Conservation Problems in Spanish Art Deco Jewellery Design
- Peacock Ink: Investigation into the Constituents of the Most Prized Ink of Persia
