“French Illustrated Book” — Bibliographical Database.

The bibliographic databases, created now in Russia, mainly includes information on modern editions. The information on unique, rare and valuable book funds unfortunately are not included in the electronic databases. But this information is very important for students, scientists and amateurs of the old books.

The bibliographic data are the first and most important information level. But we can add an information about former holders (persons and libraries), marginalia etc., so we can ascertain a history of a concrete copy. The illustrative material also represents particular interest.

The specialised database should allow operation with all listed above information blocs.

Such database is created by the staff of the Rare books department of the Scientific library of the Ural State University. The technicality is fulfilled by the staff of University Center of computer technologies. The database includes information on 1751 copy of French books, published at 18th - beginning of 19th century. All books from the former library of Imperial Alexandrovsky (Tsarskoselsky) Lyceum.

The work lasted during several years and has gone through some stages. Each stage was determined by a technical possibilities and understanding of a task. The main marks are those:

1. Creation of the electronic catalogue (standard bibliographic description). We used Automatic Informational Library System "MARC" software (NPO "Informsistema" is developer).
2. Conversion all data to the Microsoft Word document format. We received "normal" French language and corrected all bibliographical data. ("MARC" software uses Russian DOS encoding and doesn't allow to use symbols of French, German and some other languages).
3. The reverse conversion to the database format (intermediate variant is Microsoft Excel format; final is Oracle DMBS format). We organised access via web-interface and added illustrative material at this stage.

Test variant is available via http://jasper.ctc.usu.ru:2222/raritet/. The database has high functionality. For example index of the content is very useful. It includes information about all writings and authors, prefaces, afterwards, advance notes to the binder, lists of misprints, book-selling catalogues etc.

Now the database is enriched with information about illustrative material. We used a special scheme, including data about type of image, its painter and engraver, caption, chronology of subject, keywords, biographic data about represented person etc. We scan all images and user can browse this images. To July, 1, 2000 518 illustrative pieces (673 graphic files) had been included in the database, now this quantity is enlarged.

As images we used illustration, miniatures, tail-pieces, vignettes, initials, book-end papers etc. About 80-90 percents of images are the elements of book decoration.

Bibliographical data and descriptions of illustrations are combined. It is possibly to start search from bibliographical data and then browse illustrations or go in the opposite direction.

The search system allows to browse book by book, to search within bibliographical data or description of illustrative material, it also allows any combination of search criteria. The advanced search allows to form retrieval request with arbitrary degree of complexity.

In 1998-1999 this work was supported by the Open Society Institute.

Negulyaev Evgeny Aleksandrovich - a historian. Since 1996 to the present time I am the employee of the Rare Book Department of Ural State University Scientific library. I work as the teacher at the same time. I graduated the Historical Faculty of Simferopol State University at 1995. My arena of interests is the electronic resources for humanitarian studies. I am an administrator of “Lithica” site (http://heritage.eunnet.net/lithica).

The Ural State University was founded at 1920 and it is educational institution of wide profile. The Scientific Library of Ural State University is one of the biggest libraries in the Ural region. The library stock is about 1 million copies. The Library has the electronic catalogue (http://consensus.eunnet.net). There are many book collection in the Rare Book Department, the main is the former library of Imperial Alexandrovsky (Tsarskoselsky) Lyceum.