The Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University Library Uses the iGuana Solution to Create a Digital Collection

One of the key tasks of modern scientific organizations and educational institutions is to preserve the heritage of printed books that comprise the rarest publications of historical and cultural value. One of the ways to fulfil this task is to create electronic digital collections using cutting-edge technology. A project of this kind is currently underway at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine).

In the summer of 2020, the University Library acquired the state-of-the-art Metis EDS Alpha planetary book scanner produced by Metis Systems S.r.l., an Italian scanning equipment manufacturer. The book scanner was provided to the library by iGuana, which has been the official supplier for a wide range of high-quality Metis scanning equipment in Ukraine and a number of other countries for many years, as well as an expert in installation and maintenance of this technology.

The employees of the library say that the most distinct feature of the Metis EDS Alpha book scanner is the possibility of contactless scanning of documents that are otherwise difficult to digitize using traditional equipment. Operating the scanner is trouble-free and very simple for the staff. The benefits mentioned by the library personnel include a user-friendly interface and various settings that improve the way in which the original appearance of the book can be brought to life. The resulting scans can be saved in many popular electronic formats, such as JPG, PDF, TIFF.

Using this technology, the staff of the University Library carry out contactless digitization of prints from the fields of science, popular science and art from the 19th – 20th centuries. In this context, a prominent position is occupied by a famous Ukrainian personage – writer, educator, literary critic, publicist and ethnographer Borys Grinchenko. Free access to all the rare items digitized using the Metis EDS Alpha book scanner can be obtained on the official website of the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (click here for access).

iGuana would like to express its appreciation to the staff of the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University Library and its director Tetiana Opryshko for their contribution to this article, providing text, video and photographic materials.