The Project of Historical and Cultural Heritages Developed in the Institute of History & Philology – Digital Archive for the Rare Books of the Fu Ssu-Nien Library

I. Archives in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library

The rare book collections in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library (FSNL) are of great value and relevance to sinologists all over the world. These rare book collections include:

1.Over 49,859 volumes of rare books;
2.About 40,000 inscriptions from metal and stone wares collected by famous experts;
3.Approximately 12,119 volumes of vernacular literature essential to the study of 18th to 20th century Chinese popular culture and lower class society;
4.About 869 documents related to China’s border minorities in the early 20th century;
5.About 3,812 volumes of quasi-rare books and 127,977 volumes of string-bound books (these quasi-rare and string-bound books are mostly historical or collected works from China’s late Ch’ing dynasty and early Republican era.)

II. Digitization Project

The goal of the FSNL’s digitization project is to provide for the best possible preservation of the rare books mentioned above, as well as to provide readers and scholars with the easiest access to these works. The FSNL has been working on two topics common to all project participants: the digitization of Ming-edition works by  Ming literati and the digitization of illustrations in antique books. Furthermore, in relation to its particular collections, and with an eye to integrating digitized images with common research topics, the FSNL has also selected its own targets for digitization, including materials pertaining to medical sciences, archaeology, and inscriptions from metal and stone wares. Our goal is to allow readers and scholars to find a majority of the sources pertaining to significant research topics in only one search. In addition to digitizing the various materials mentioned above, our project also attempts to establish an integrated, automatic system which includes scanning, proofreading, and image quality control procedures, image and metadata databases, and access and security control procedures. 

The Fu Ssu-Nien Library’s Digital Archives Website

 The Digital Archives System Website for the Rare Books of the Fu Ssu-Nien Library

 

1.The Database System for the Fu Ssu-Nien Library Rare Books Catalogue (Free access)

The Fu Ssu-Nien Library Database System includes a catalogue of rare books, ancient string -bound books, bronze and stone rubbings, vernacular literature, and other catalogued materials. Readers can browse the online catalogue freely without special authorization from the FSNL. As of the end of December, 2006, 104,234 records had been compiled in the online catalogue system: 13,282 are rare book records, 47,622 are ancient string-bound book records, 22,557 are bronze and stone rubbings records, and 20,773 are vernacular literature records.


2.The Digital Archives System for the Rare Books of the Fu Ssu-Nien Library (Free access to  metadata; pre-paid service for access to full-text images)
http://lib.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/pages/03-rare/system/avi/12-2.avi (Video; in Chinese)

The Fu Ssu-Nien Library develops and builds the Digital Archives System for the Rare Books of the Library based on past experiences and work with digital systems and archives. The System integrates with other related archive systems by means of a specialized design and in order to meet the needs of different users. We divide the system into three levels for different types of use: research, educational, and public. The System provides the most complete information for research use. For educational use, it offers information with flexibility according to the needs of school curricula. Finally, information provided for public use gives users a basic understanding and knowledge of the rare books collected in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library.


3.The Database System for Seals collected at the Fu Ssu-Nien Library (Free subscription service for users in Taiwan with fixed IP address)
http://applyonline.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/english/avi/12-5.avi (Video; in Chinese)

This Database System is constructed to compile all of the seals found on rare books and rubbings and to analyze and reorganize the inscribed seals of original collectors, appreciators, and inscription-makers. The Database System also  focuses on seal cutting calligraphy and the aesthetic beauty of seals.

There are two digital archives projects incorporated into this database:
(1) The Digital Archives Project for the Rare Books in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library: In order to coordinate its efforts with the Digital Archives Project for the Writings of Ming Dynasty Literati, the Seals Database System begins with the digitization of seals owned by people who were living in the Ming Dynasty.

(2) The Digital Archives Project for Rubbings and Archaic Texts:
In order to coordinate its efforts with the Digital Archives Project of Bronze and Stone Rubbings, the Seals Database System begins with the digitization of seals found on various rubbings.


4.The Fu Ssu-Nien Library Authority Database System for the Names of People in Ancient Literature (Free subscription service for users in Taiwan with fixed IP address)

The purpose of this system is to compile all of the names of people appearing in ancient literature and to develop biographical sketches for these people and gather their writings. The System currently consists of four sections:
(1) Authority Data for the Names of People found in the Writings of Ming Dynasty Literati;
(2) Authority Data for People’s Names according to their Geographic Locations within China;
(3) Authority Data for the Names of People found on the Seals Collected in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library;
(4) Authority Data for the Names of People found in other Collections in the Fu Ssu-Nien Library


5.The Geographical Information System for the Fu Ssu-Nien Library (Free access)
http://applyonline.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/english/avi/12-4.avi (Video; in Chinese)

This particular system is meant to work in concert with authority data for the names of people contained within two of the FSNL’s digital archive projects: the Writings of Ming Dynasty Literati and the Seals Collected at the Fu Ssu-Nien Library, as well as to illustrate— on historical maps—the activities of people and the information provided by the authors and inscribers of seals.


Text and images are provided by The Project of Historical and Cultural Heritages developed in the Institute of History & Philology