Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on i2010: Digital Libraries
Date: 2006-06-15
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: access to information, cultural heritage, digital technology, heritage protection, virtual library

22.9.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 229/51

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
European Parliament,

the Council,
Committee of the Regions on i2010: Digital Libraries

(2006/C 229/07)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the
Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on I2010 —
Digital libraries COM(2005) 465 final;

Having regard to the decision of its President of 24 January 2006 to instruct its Commission for Culture
and Education to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European
Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on i2010 —
A European Information Society for Growth and Employment;

Having regard to the opinion of the Commission for Culture, Education and Research, adopted on 4 April
2006 (CdR 32/2006 rev. 1) (rapporteur: Mr Jyrki Myllyvirta, Mayor of Mikkeli (FI/EPP));

adopted the following opinion at its 65th plenary session, held on 14/15 June 2006 (meeting of
15 June):

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

regional dimension in the context of the digital libraries initia-
tive;

The Committee of the Regions

for an initiative to digitise
1.1 welcomes the proposal
Europe's cultural heritage and develop digital
libraries and
stresses that it is a key component of the Commission's initia-
tive — i2010 — A European Information Society for Growth and
Employment, the full implementation of which is a prerequisite
for improving European competitiveness;

1.2
emphasises that the digitisation, online accessibility and
preservation of cultural heritage should be promoted in all
European countries, regions, cities and languages in such a way
that it supports the preservation of cultural and linguistic diver-
sity. The point of departure should be appreciation of culture
— including minority cultures — and preserving cultural
achievements for future generations;

1.3
recalls that the digitisation of cultural heritage is advan-
cing rapidly in other parts of the world and stresses that
making European cultural heritage and literature widely acces-
sible in digital form is a precondition for the success of the
European knowledge-based society and at
the same time
supports the development of Europe's regions and cities;

1.4
appreciates the fact that the Commission communica-
tion highlights the major challenges and many unresolved tech-
nical, legal and financial questions relating to the digitisation of
cultural heritage, and notes that local and regional authorities
support efforts to move forward in this matter;

stresses that local and regional authorities are the most
1.5
important implementing bodies for all information society stra-
tegies and in many cases it is they who maintain libraries, so
that adequate attention should also be paid to the local and

1.6
considers it to be of the utmost importance that the
digitisation of cultural heritage be promoted in Europe in all
Member States and emphasises that the benefits of digitisation
will only be achieved with the widespread promotion —
including at local and regional level — of the online accessi-
bility of cultural heritage and the development of intelligent
information searches;

points out that digitisation is a long-term process
1.7
which places heavy demands on resources,
involving the
ongoing maintenance, updating and conversion of material,
and agrees about the benefits which digitisation brings for the
accessibility and preservation of cultural heritage;

1.8
recalls that digital material comprises both digitised
analogue material and new material which was originally
created in digital format;

notes that digital

1.9
library services in Member States
comprise components constructed at national, regional and
local level which are linked to each other by electronic means.
For this to succeed there is a need for cooperation and coordi-
nation at European level;

believes that

1.10
libraries has a vital role in making
cultural heritage and literature accessible in an online environ-
ment as it is with their help that this material can best be deliv-
ered to the public, but at the same time notes that their coop-
eration with archives and museums and with other cultural
establishments and relevant players in this field is absolutely
essential.

C 229/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.9.2006

2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

The Committee of the Regions,

stresses that the primary purpose of digitisation is not
2.1
to replace traditional printed and other physical cultural mate-
rial but rather to produce digitised material alongside analogue
material and to promote the accessibility of information;

emphasises that as only a very small proportion of
2.2
European cultural heritage is digitised and a vast amount of
work remains to be done, new forms of funding also need to
be developed,
including collaboration with private sector
players;

2.3
points out that in small countries and language areas
commercial markets for digital material have, to date, been
fairly small, even though the fixed costs associated with produ-
cing such material are of almost the same of order of magni-
tude as in the major language areas, and stresses that, thanks
to technological advances, it is already possible and also impor-
tant to take on board the needs of users in different language
areas in developing digital libraries;

notes that, while a major part of Europe's older cultural
2.4
heritage is already free of copyright restrictions and thus avail-
able on information networks, the Commission's proposal to
reform copyright legislation relating to more recent cultural
heritage is highly relevant;

2.5
points out that in some countries there are already
signs that some sections of the public are being left behind by
the advances in digital
technology and feels that adequate
opportunities to access the Internet and guidance on how to
use it should also be made available to people in the least
advantaged social groups;

stresses that

2.6
local and regional authorities have a
crucial role to play as producers and owners of cultural heri-

Brussels, 15 June 2006

tage and in taking responsibility for ensuring that all members
of the public are given as equal access to information society
services as possible;

2.7
emphasises that the opportunity which public libraries
in many European countries provide to access traditional
printed material is still very important, but that they must also
offer members of the public the opportunity to use the Internet
and online services. Taking account of the end users of online
services and their local needs requires that the organisation of
these services be carried out by local and regional players. It is
essential
this also be taken into consideration in the
national funding of library activities;

that

2.8
notes that where local and regional authorities partici-
pate in various kinds of library or other consortia which own a
network server environment and offer a full range of services it
must be ensured that they are given sufficient opportunity to
influence decision-making in this context;

2.9 welcomes the fact that the Commission highlights the
challenges relating to the choice of material to be digitised and
considers that it is important, first of all, that adequate atten-
tion be paid to selection criteria that are based on local and
regional considerations and,
that a balance be
struck between selection criteria based on public demand, on
the one hand, and on ensuring preservation, on the other hand;

in addition,

endorses the proposal to formulate strategies for the
2.10
long-term preservation of digitised cultural material so that the
resources used for the digitisation of cultural heritage are not
wasted when changes occur in technical systems and software;

thinks that the proposal to set up centres of compe-
2.11
tence in Member States is interesting and stresses that an
important task of the centres should be ensuring that the neces-
sary skills and know-how also exist at local and regional level
and the dissemination of good practice.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Michel DELEBARRE