‘More translations, unique historical content and rich media – The European Library launches renewed website’

[Press Release]

 

February 17th 2009, The Hague (The Netherlands) – The European Library today announced a new site release of www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org, a free resource to discover the extensive learning and research materials, covering all subjects, from 38 national libraries across Europe.  Originally developed as a central point of access to Europe’s library material, the website now combines multilingual search functionalities with several online exhibitions and web2.0 tools.

 

The new portal incorporates many of the recommended enhancements from user feedback studies.  Top of the list was more multilingual facilities.  As a result, users can now navigate and scan over 330 collections in their native language.  Support materials, including FAQs and a first-time user guide, are available in 22 European languages.

 

Users also enjoy the portal’s rich media offerings.  The portal specialises in online exhibitions that showcase the collections of Europe’s national libraries.  A new, exciting exhibition on the Napoleonic Wars has been launched to coincide with the two-hundredth anniversary of the campaigns.  More than 200 rarities were collected from the national libraries of Spain, Portugal, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Serbia.  The exhibition shows unique material such as French constitutional chart (1814), sketches of Francisco de Goya (1810) and military maps showing how Napoleon planned his attacks.

Exhibition Space

 

 

Notes for Editors:

 

www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org is a service of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) offering free, item level, access to the combined resources, books, magazines, journals, manuscripts, sound and video archives, both digital and non-digital, from 38 of the 47 national libraries of Europe. Europeana.eu builds on the project management and technical expertise developed by The European Library.

 

Exhibition Foyer: http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/exhibition/

Collections: http://search.theeuropeanlibrary.org/portal/en/collections_all.html

 

Contact: Fleur Stigter, The European Library, Tel: + 31 (0) 70. 31.40. 182, Fleur.Stigter@KB.nl

 

Select the Language of your Choice

ANNOUNCEMENT – With funding from the European Commission and the Conference of European National Libraries (CENL), The European Library has undertaken an important decision to make its collections accessible in most of Europe’s native languages. As a first step, the titles and descriptions of 330 digital collections and catalogues are being made available in 27 languages. Additional languages will follow in the near future.

The user interface of http://www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org is already available in 27 languages. Also help texts, FAQs, an user guide and other explanatory texts (’search by material – showing different types of material’) have been translated in all or several languages.

The translation of the collection descriptions is carried out by Scriptware, a Dutch translation agency. This company used its translation portal TransiBar (http://www.transibar.com/transibar/portal/login) to handle the online translation and review of the XML content.

“This unique multi-language project required the right approach. The idea of a translation portal where all the partners involved could interact was very appealing. Consequently, we asked Scriptware to employ their TransiBar portal” says Lizzy Komen, The European Library project coordinator. Frank ter Reehorst, Managing Director of Scriptware added, “This is the first time we have had 27 languages in one go in TransiBar. It is a significant development, particularly as we have now submitted the translation to online review by locally-based reviewers in each of the national libraries.”

NB: The translations are not live yet. They will be made available by the end of October.

Another interesting development resulting from the progressive multilingual character of The European Library relates to the so-called Mini Library (mini version of the search box, that one can place on every website, blog or even Facebook page). Currently users of the Mini Library widget can pre-select the size, color, collections, and language they like to focus on. With the translation of the collection descriptions, the value of the language option has increased quite a bit. After all, for a non-native English speaker it is so much easier to select the collection you wish to focus on if you can read the description in your own language….

[partially re-used the text of the associated press release cq announcement]