Transcript Integrating National Library and National Archives

Merging the National Library and the
National Archives
LIBER General Annual Conference, Tartu, June 2012
Els van Eijck van Heslinga, Head Finance and Corporate Services, KB
Merging the National Library and the National Archives
June 2012
Facts & figures
Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB)
National Library of the Netherlands
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2011:
•359 staff as of 31 December
•110 km of library materials
•100,537 visits to the library annually
•4,637,279 visits to the websites
•47,893 books added in 2011
•77,047 printed periodical issues added in 2011
•1,314,318 digital periodical articles added in 2011
•170,000 e-books made available (patron-driven acquisition)
Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Facts & figures National Archives (NA)
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2011:
144 staff
105 km of public records, 14,5 km of which pre-1795
Plus 300,000 maps, drawings and 10 million photos
19,000 visits to the archives annually
130,000 visits to the website per month (1,560,000 per year)
5,000 visits per day to Flickr (photos)
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Collections
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Unique (digital) collections that complement each other
• KB  books, newspapers, periodicals (published material),
also: manuscripts, special collections
• NA  public records national government (originals),
images (many photos, among others the Spaarnestad
archive), other archival collections
Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Similarities
• Target groups: researchers, general public, business-tobusiness clients such as archives and libraries, museums,
other cultural heritage institutions
• Evolving into a national back office service
• Responsibilities for long-term access (digital preservation)
• National and international role in respective domains
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Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Differences
• Ambitions with regard to digitization (NA: digitization on
demand; KB: mass digitization)
• Exhibitions (NA: on-site; KB: on-line)
• Relationship with government (NA: public records law; KB:
strategic influence only)
• Different legal issues (NA: privacy and freedom of
information; KB: copyright and open access)
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Cooperation thus far
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• “Metamorfoze”, national programme for preservation of
paper heritage
• Joint on-site exhibitions ( “The Legacy of the
Netherlands”)
• NA contributes content to online exhibition “The Memory
of the Netherlands”
• Research in digital preservation
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Digital preservation: building a national infrastructure
for permanent access to digital resources
National
Library
National
Archives
National
infrastructure
Cultural
Coalition
DANS
Sound
and
Vision
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Intended merger
December 2011: Secretary of State announces merger
Most important reasons:
• Comparable digital challenges: collection and storage of and
provision of access to digital information
• Pooling knowledge, skills and resources
Advantages:
• High quality, continuity and efficiency
• Stronger national and international position
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New strategy
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A joint vision for 2025 based on:
1. Unique content (the National Memory of the Netherlands)
and its exploitation
2. Knowledge about that content
3. Technical infrastructure to provide long-term access to digital
collections
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Outline Strategic Plan 2014-2017
• All collections can be searched online.
• Paper books, periodicals, public records and special collections
accessible in reading rooms
• Digitization-on-demand service
• Where possible documents and public records directly
available in digital form for research and re-use
• Excellent facilities for study, research, meetings and
conferences
• Facilities for exhibitions and educating the general public
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Synergy and efficiency –
short-term and long-term
Operational
management
Short term:
immediately after
merger [1-1-2014]
Housing, ICT, Finance,
HRM, Communication
‘Physical’ and digital
services
Medium term: 2 years
after merger
Depends on housing
(reading rooms,
shared entrance)
Storage and
maintenance
collections
Medium term: 2 years
after merger
Depends on housing/
investments (stacks,
depots)
Acquisitions and
processing
Long term: 5 to 10
years after merger
To be decided
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Process of merger
• Three involved parties: KB, NA, Ministry of Education, Culture
and Science
• Designing merger process
• Due Diligence
• Management meetings (determine strategy, core values etc.)
• Communications track: shared merger intranet, staff
introductions, dedicated merger design
Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Organizational structure
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Governance yet to be determined
In all likelihood a team of directors
Structure of organization to be determined
following strategic plan
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Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Issues requiring attention
• New institution requires new legislation
• KB and NA presently are different types of legal entities
(Autonomous Administrative Authority vs. Government
Agency)
• Different Collective Labour Agreements
• Special authority NA with regard to public records
• Friction costs
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Present joint projects
Research programme Digital Preservation
Restoration and Digitization Departments
Digitization on-demand
Organization of User Services Department(s)
Preliminary investigation Depots/Stacks
Shared Entrance
Office automation
Merging Facility Management
Security (people, collections)
Branding strategy
Implementation Joint Operational Management Applications
Workflow description
Preliminary investigation passage-way linking buildings
Architecture Operational Management Applications
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Merging the National Library and the National Archives
Timetable …
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Merging the National Library and the National Archives
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