This means that the historical prints from the 16th to 19th centuries carefully selected for digitization are available online via the library catalog and via Google Books, around the clock and free of charge. A broad international audience can thus access valuable historical sources and rare regional publications very easily and conveniently. Over 34 million digitized images have been generated in the course of this public-private partnership. The most extensive work, volume 2 of a “Handbook of Organic Chemistry” from 1896, delivered 2276 scans, with an overview of the members of the Frankfurt National Assembly of 1848 bringing up the rear with just 2 scans.

Libraries around the world are working on making their often unique collections, which have grown over the centuries, available in digital form. The Bavarian State Library in Munich announced its cooperation with Google back in 2007. The regional state libraries, including the Bamberg State Library, were also included in this cooperation. Library Director Prof. Dr. Bettina Wagner:

Thanks to the partnership with Google and the Google team at the Bavarian State Library, we are making a large part of our holdings of copyright-free printed books accessible free of charge, and our old holdings are much more visible. This benefits users all over the world. And the Bamberg State Library is thus strengthening its profile as a research library of international standing.

The so-called “library copy” agreed with Google is linked to the search results in the library catalog. With one click, the work can be read on your own screen. Another click allows you to download the entire digitized work or individual images for free use for non-commercial purposes.

Fragile, damaged or otherwise endangered volumes were excluded from the digitization, which was carried out off-site, as well as all newspapers and journals. Welcome side effects were numerous additions and corrections to the bibliographic information displayed in the library catalog. With the successful completion of the project, all books are now back in their rightful place on the shelf – and online as digital copies!

From now on, you have the choice: for example, you can order a physical copy of the 1879 guide to the city of Bamberg for inspection in our reading room or browse through the digital copy wherever you like.