Old Books, New Format: Inside the University of Georgia’s Digital LibraryOld Books, New Format: Inside the University of Georgia’s Digital Library
In the digital age, converting fiction and scientific literature into digital formats is crucial. It enhances access to texts and helps preserve and maintain these invaluable works.
This is the goal of the University of Georgia’s initiative — the Digital Laboratory of the Georgian Language — which aims to digitize all significant Georgian-language publications and create an online archive based on the university library’s physical collection.
It's worth noting that from 1629 to the present, around 250,000 printed works have been published in Georgian. The project is initially focusing on academic journals and monographs—some of which have never been digitized, while others exist only as low-quality scans. However, as project members explained, these texts are now being reviewed and re-digitized using strict quality standards. A search function has also been added: “We follow a digitization standard that ensures the creation of clear, intact, and searchable versions of old, worn, and deteriorating books, often bulky volumes. This offers an optimal solution in terms of quality.”
Within the digital library system, books are categorized into two groups: copyrighted and non-copyrighted works. As a result, access to copyrighted materials is restricted to authorized users of the University of Georgia’s online library. Meanwhile, non-copyrighted books are freely available to the general public. It’s important to note that these books cannot be downloaded; users can only access them through the library’s website.
Lastly, the project team welcomes collaboration with booksellers and libraries interested in contributing their collections to expand the digital library. This cooperation directly supports the project's primary mission—to preserve books and share Georgia’s cultural and literary heritage with a wider audience.