A National Digitization Center was set up at the National Library of the Republic of Moldova by restructuring the Digital Collections Section in the framework of a project to strengthen the digitization capacities of the institution. “The National Digitization Center is a structure for coordinating the whole national system of libraries, in particular the memory institutions that own written and printed cultural heritage,” the Center’s head Diana Silivestru stated for IPN.

At the current stage, the National Digitization Center was outfitted with special furniture. Owing to the pandemic, the next stages of the project were put off. It is expected that the project will be completed in 2022 by bringing appropriate equipment for the center.

“When the equipment is brought to the National Library of the Republic of Moldova, we will start the mass digitization of documents and publications,” said Diana Silivestru. Digitalization facilitates the people’s access to public services, ensuring positive experiences and better resuts. The digitization of libraries is an imperative of time and is a sign of integration into the community of the states that meet high standards for advanced technologies.

Among the beneficiaries of the National Digitization Center that is to start the digitization process are a series of national libraries and museums.

The National Library of the Republic of Moldova declared 2021 the year of enhancement of digitization of the activity of national libraries. The Ministry of Culture supported the initiative launched by the Library in November 2020. Among the planned measures is the implementation of a project to improve the National Library’s digitization equipment to the value of over US$400,000 that is financed by the Government of Japan.