21 July 2004
Kazkommertzbank and IBM support best traditions of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme and the project of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NLRK) Docuemntary Heritage -Digital Archive by funding equiment and software. Earlier IBM participated in similar activities in Vatican, Cairo, and the Sant-Petersburg Hermitage.
Digital Archive - is a project on creation of electronic digital archive in the National Library of Kazakhstan proposed to KKB in 2003.
After that Kazkommertz bank created its own Charitable Foundation called "Kus Zholy" to manage this project and negotiated collaboration with IBM.
On the first stage Kus Zholy will provide software and equipment neccessary for the digitaliztation of 25 thousand rare manuscripts. After that, series of trainings will be organised for NLRK and the Kazkommertsbank specialists in order on maintaining the digitalization process and supporting the project. In 13 July 2004 representatives of Kus Zholy and NLRK wisited Cairo, Egypt, to exchange best practices with the Alexandria Library which has been implementing similar project.
Murat Auezov, Director of the National Library of Kazakhstan said: "We visited a unique center of digitalization in the Alexandria Library. We saw in what a perfect conditions manuscripts are kept. We enjoyed witnessing the results of the financial support given to libraries and the way librarians use the very expensive equipment purchased under the support. This library is example of attitude of the State, Government, President to the Library as Storage of the National and International Written Culture and Heritage"
Contacts
Kus Zholy Foundation. тел: (3272)585-105* 5600
NLRK:
Department of Public Relations NLRK тел: (3272)672-874
Memory of the World Programme in Central Asia
Kus Zholy Foundation
UNESCO WSIS Action Directory
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/kazkommertzbank-and-ibm-sponsored-kazak-rare-books-digitalisation