Founded in 1928, National Taiwan University is the oldest research institute devoted to diverse fieldworks and houses one of the most comprehensive records of natural and cultural history in Taiwan . This legacy has provided a rich resource for various researches and has functioned as permanent references of lives on Earth. Funded by National Science Council, Digital Archives Project of National Taiwan University has been initiated since 2002 to broaden public access to the heritage holdings. The digitalization of these collections involves a wide variety of content and data types, reflective of the many research specialties in National Taiwan University . Therefore, intensive information technology and resource-sharing information systems have been utilized to bring coherence to the digital preservation service while maintaining the independence of the university departments. With the constructions of digital contents and database, the digital archives initiatives not only allow university faculty and students drawing upon the collections to enrich learning and researches but also serve a wider audience through internet access. Furthermore, the digital preservation of archives will be engaged on advancing knowledge innovation, facilitating value added creation and sustaining the national competitiveness.

http://www.darc.ntu.edu.tw/

National Taiwan University Library has had a long history of maintaining valuable special collections. From the Japanese occupation period to the present day, the University faculty have been trying to acquire important resources. Although the collections are significant resources for academic study, their fragile condition cannot withstand constant examination. Early digitization projects include the “Digital Museum of the Tamsui River,” carried out in 1998 and 1999. In 2001 the library began a “Pilot Project of the National Digital Archives Program” to initiate further digitization projects. Since 2002 the library has participated in “The National Digital Archives Program.” The purpose of undertaking these projects is to accelerate the format conversion of important resources for Taiwan Studies. As the collections are vital records of Taiwan culture and history, their digitization is expected to benefit a broad readership as well as scholars in Taiwan studies.

The National Taiwan University Library has completed the digitization of the Tan-hsin Archive, the Kanori Ino Manuscripts, and Rubbings of Taiwan Cultural Relics by conducting the “National Taiwan University Digital Taiwan-Related Archives Project” (2002-2007), the first phase of the National Digital Archives Program (NDAP). The library will continue this effort by undertaking the “Extended Digital Taiwan-Related Archives Project” (2007-2012) in the second phase of NDAP. In the current project, the NTU Library's efforts will target the Yasusada Tashiro Collection, books of lyrics of Taiwanese Opera, and the V. S. de Beausset Collection. Digitization work for these collections includes creating image files, full-texts, and metadata records, as well as integrating all the results in a searchable database system so as to provide easy access to these cultural legacies and to fulfill the library's mission to preserve Taiwan's cultural heritage.

Both the “National Taiwan University Digital Taiwan-Related Archives Project” and the “Extended Digital Taiwan-Related Archives Project” are sub-projects of the “National Taiwan University Digital Archives Project,” which is sponsored by the NDAP. By participating in the NDAP, NTU has been able to establish a portal for the digitization projects of botanical, entomological, geological, zoological, and anthropological specimens, as well as the library's own collections. The portal provides scholars and researchers gateway services to reach NTU's rich academic legacy. Through these digitization projects, the library will continue to contribute to NTU's portal for a growing digital collection of outstanding diversity. The digital archives will also serve as the basis of a prospective project, the “Archive for Taiwan Natural and Cultural History.” The projects will thus provide a comprehensive collection of core materials for Taiwan studies, as well as facilitate permanent research tools for scientific and cultural scholarship.

http://140.112.113.4/project/default.asp

The Herbarium of National Taiwan University (TAI) was founded by Yushun Kudo in 1929, one year after the establishment of the Taihoku Imperial University. The Herbarium is housed in a separate two-floor building adjacent to the main gate of the university. The TAI collection currently includes approximately 250000 specimens of vascular plants with more than 1000 types. The collection is strongest in vascular plants from Taiwan, as well as historically valuable collections from North Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Hokkaido, Ryukyu Islands, Micronesia and Hainan Island. The collection was built largely as the result of research collections by the curators, staff and students of TAI and augmented by exchanges and bequests made over the past 77 years.

In 1947 when the Taihoku Imperial University became the National Taiwan University, the Department of Botany was charged with the management and financing of the herbarium. During the reorganization of the College of Life Science in 2003, the herbarium was transferred to the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Due to its long history, the herbarium has served as the central systematics and floristics resource for Taiwan and eastern Asia. In addition the herbarium is useful for identification, teaching, and research in biodivisity, ecology, phytogeography, etc.

The local flora researches will remain an important activity at the TAI Herbarium, but more emphasis will be given in the future to the digitization of specimens and historical botanical books. In 2001 the herbarium received a large grant from the National Science Concil through its National Archive Digitization program to computerize the collections, and this work is an ongoing project. As of year 2007, label Data and images from approximately 72,000 specimens are now accessible at the website http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/default.htm

The Department of Entomology continues gathering insect specimens and their related information to provide a further understanding for natural history. Including some valuable inheritance, more than 330,000 specimens are stored in the museum. However, the museum cannot display the collections regularly due to the limited space. With the digitalization project, the specimen collections are ready to function for general exhibitions, scientific educations and researches.

http://www.imdap.entomol.ntu.edu.tw/

The Department of Geosciences houses abundant geological specimens, including 500 minerals, 450 rocks, 2,300 fossils, tens of gemstones, and many precious books, photos, and manuscripts. There are also more than 2,000 valuable pieces of minerals and rocks worldwide. Digitalizing the geosciences collections enable broader academic researches and educations. It also helps the public to understand geological resources and natural environment in Taiwan .

http://nadm.gl.ntu.edu.tw/

The Department of Anthropology has collected and preserved artifacts, photos, and archival documents of the aborigine groups and archaeological sites in Taiwan since the Ethnological Institute of Taihoku Imperial University was established in 1928. The digitalization of collection serves not only as an important anthropological research resource but also preserves the nation's precious cultural heritages.

http://140.112.144.1/acisen/acisen.asp

The Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology joins the Digital Archives Project to create the digital museum of zoology. The collections include specimen, life history, distribution, body measurements, ecological photos, calls, field videos and original published papers of Taiwan 's wildlife species such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, earthworms, mollusks, and coral reefs.

Digital Museum of Zoology at National Taiwan University
The purpose of this project is to create multimedia databases for Taiwan's wildlife. Specimen have been collected since the Japanese Occupation Period, and digital records are collected and maintained by researchers in the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University.

The archived data include specimen, taxonomy, life history, distribution, body measurements, ecological photos, sounds, videos and original description of published papers. Metadata were created to document these diverse and heterogeneous information. The databases are available online in multimedia format. Real-time distribution maps can be queried. Currently, over 680,000 records have been archived.

http://archive.zo.ntu.edu.tw/

The University Computer and Information Networking Center is designated to construct and maintain the integrated information system and infrastructure for the members of Digital Archives Project of National Taiwan University. It also provides technical supports and services including: a portal service of the Digital Archives Resource Center (DARC), knowledge management systems, as well as data storage and retrieval systems.

http://www.darc.ntu.edu.tw/homepage/index.htm