TOMSK, Jun 17 – RIA Tomsk. To thumb through the
centuries-old book and examine close notes of the author in the margins – such chance
is given to everyone by the augmented reality technologies used in Research
Library of Tomsk State University (SL TSU). About rare books in the
"digital" format – in the material of RIA Tomsk.
Research Library of Tomsk State University was opened
in 1888 simultaneously with the university. As indicated on its website, upon
receipt of the first book collections, luxury publications were placed in
special cabinets. In 1914, these windows were installed in a special room built
for the library building. Since then, it stuck the name "Showcase Room".
It was intended for a rare fund.
The modern "Showcase Room" – is the Book
Museum of Research Library of Tomsk State University. Its exhibits include
unique manuscripts relating to the initial period of the history of Siberia and
Tomsk, Western European and Slavic-Russian books of the 15th-16th centuries,
and many others.
Without harm to the book
"Our museum collections – are books which need to
be cherished and preserved. Rare books, of course, we don’t give to flipping
through, because fingerprints and interaction with human skin are destructive for
them", – the deputy director of the Research Library of Tomsk State
University (RL TSU) Tatyana Polezhaeva told RIA Tomsk.
© РИА Томск. Элеонора Черная
The manuscript of the end of the 17th century in Research Library of Tomsk State University
Save books and at the same time give them into the
hands of visitors – this issue was solved with the help of augmented reality
technology. The university's IT partners have developed software which allows
"to thumb through" rare publications on library tablets.
"We can virtually take in hand "The
Encyclopedia, or the Explanatory Dictionary of Sciences, Arts and Crafts",
which publishers were Denis Diderot and Jean D'Alembert (XVIII century),
"Saint Petersburg Vedomosti" in 1796. To make this possible, we
digitized many rare editions stored in the library. It is possible to see them
in the "digital format" in the Museum of the book, as well as on the
website of the RL TSU", – says Polezhaeva.
© РИА Томск. Элеонора Черная
In Research Library of Tomsk State University
Books which are available for viewing in this way are
marked with special cards with an encrypted code. It takes only a few seconds
to access the digital version of the rare copy.
Элеонора ЧернаяBook Museum in Research Library of Tomsk State University. The digitized rare editions.
History in 3D
During excursions, the staff of the RL TSU Book Museum
tell visitors about the history of printing. The tablet helps them to demonstrate
in action an old typographic machine that most of us have never seen. We point
the camera at a card with a code, wait a few seconds, and see how the 3D model
of the machine works.
Элеонора ЧернаяBook Museum in Research Library of Tomsk State University. 3D model of an old typographic machine.
"The project on the use of technologies of
augmented reality will be expanded. In the near future, it will be replenished
with new scanned books. Also we plan to make a mobile version of the
application: visitors will be able to download it to their smartphones and
"thumb through" books on their own, to study the work of a printing machine",
– summarizes Polezhaeva.