Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) will combine preservation and digitization activities in an innovative process to bring their historic Iron and Steel Heritage Collection online and accessible to the world. Through the use of social networking software, they will create an opportunity to grow a dynamic scholarly community around this historically significant collection.  Using Web 2.0 functionality, users will be able to add personalized meaning and  contribute important contextual information to items in the digitized collection.  These digitized collections will be accessible as part of the Carnegie Library Internet gateway and will be made a part of the Pennsylvania Digital Library project. This project will demonstrate how public libraries can utilize digitization projects to promote their unique resources to communities far beyond their geographical location. Over 500,000 items will be made available online. Currently, these collections are inaccessible due to inadequate cataloging and poor physical condition. This project will provide a model for integration of bibliographic control and preservation activities into digital collection workflows. Carnegie Library will be working collaboratively with Palinet and the Carnegie Mellon University on this project.