Jerusalem 11 NOVEMBER 2009 EVA MINERVA 2009 HISTORICAL PAELSTINIAN

Jerusalem, 11 NOVEMBER 2009 EVA/MINERVA 2009 HISTORICAL PAELSTINIAN NEWSPAPERS CHAIR: DR. MERAV MACK, THE VAN LEER JERUSALEM INSTITUET DR. STUART HAMILTON, THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS MR. QASEM ABU HARB, THE ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY MRS. SAMIRA MAHAMID, THE PEACE LIBRARY, GIVAT HAVIVAH MR. DAVID AMITAI, THE PEACE LIBRARY, GIVAT HAVIVAH

“IFLA, the digitisation of Palestinian newspapers and the possible use of cultural preservation as a bridge between communities” IFLA Senior Policy Advisor, Stuart Hamilton

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) International NGO based in The Hague, Netherlands Active since 1927 Member based: IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. Purpose: -Promote high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services -Encourage widespread understanding of the value of good library & information services -Represent the interests of our members throughout the world

Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) FAIFE’s mandate is to: • Publish reports, participate in conferences and organize workshops • Monitor the state of intellectual freedom within the library community world-wide and publish newsletters and online news. • Respond to violations of free access to information and freedom of expression and make press releases. • Support IFLA policy development and co-operation with other international human rights organizations.

http: //www. ifla. org/files/faife/publications/FAIFE-Mission-report-Aug 2007. pdf

Preserving the Israeli Arabs’ Heritage The Digitization of the Palestinian Press Archive At the Peace Library, Givat Haviva http//: www. givathaviva. org. il/english/library Givat Haviva November 2009

• Founded 60 years ago, Givat Haviva serves as the national education center of Ha. Shomer Ha. Tzair movement, promoting education for peace, democracy, coexistence and social solidarity through different centers and activities. • The Peace Library (70, 000+ titles, 400 journals) is considered to be the vastest repository of materials about the Israeli Arabs. It houses and maintains a number of unique collections in this regard including a one-of-a-kind Archive of Palestinian Press with publications dating back to the 1930’s. New Wing (2001) Old Wing (1954)

• The inauguration of the library’s New Wing facilitated a more suitable storage space at the Old Wing for the heavily used collection of some 200, 000 pages of newsprint (through 2009, and growing). • Views of current location and shelves with the Peace Library’s director, Mrs. Samira Mahamid in the background. • Once digitized, originals are scheduled to be moved for permanent storage at the climate-controlled and fireprotected repositories of the Ha. Shomer Ha. Tzair’s Central Archive at Givat Haviva (Yad Yaari)

What we face: “Al-Difah” 1935

What we face : “Al-Difah” 1935 (2)

What we face : “Al-Ittihad” 1945

What we face : “Palestine” 1958

Project in Brief Project title: Digitization of Givat Haviva’s Historic Collection of Palestinian Newspapers: A Collaborative Project proposal authors and professional consultants: Dr. Merav Mack and Peter Jacobsen from Cambridge Research Technology Project co-directors: Samira Mahammid and David Amitai, the Peace Library GH Project process: photographing of materials onto microfilm (35 mm reels) and from microfilm digital scanning (300 DPI) to Tiff and PDF formats. The data would be stored on a server with another backup and made available online using Greenstone, UNESCO’s free software for digital libraries. Project estimated cost: $183, 000 for both stages of digitization process and feasibility study ($100, 000 for the digitization stage). Project Collaborators • Givat Haviva’s Peace Library, Israel, owner of the collection. • UNESCO, Israel • Mr. George S. Blumenthal, New York • Cambridge Research Technology (CRT), UK and Israel • IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations

Where did we plan to be (2005): “Al-Difah” 1934

Where we are now (2008): Stage 1 “Falastin” website

Where we are now (2009): Stage 2 UNESCO’s Greenstone site

The next stages: More & Better • Continue with efforts to develop and improve the project in terms of usage and searchability. • Upload more materials, as much as our (limited) resources allow for. • Make Grennstone’s interface more user friendly. In process (UNESCO) • Develop and test tools which enable users to add content and information. Done (IFLA) • Conducting users survey and studies. • Enhance public access to such materials through joint projects with other institutions. • Raise more funds : -)

Digitization project dilemmas: Time (1) Digitize what is possible now ASAP versus allowing for more planning/preparation time and the secure of funding toward comprehensive project, maybe in cooperation with other institutions that hold similar/complementary collections.

Digitization project dilemmas: Time (2) Digitize now without OCR versus delay execution until a mature OCR for Arabic is available

Digitization project dilemmas: Time & Budget (1) Digitize less issues in higher resolution standards versus digitize as many issues as possible using the industry common standards. 8 bit Grayscale 300 DPI 28 MB Files? !! 3, 000 pages 1 bit 300 DPI Black & White 2 MB Files… 30, 000 pages

Digitization project dilemmas: Time & Budget (2) invest funds in commercial user-oriented software for online display and access versus using a less-friendly freeware and save the money for extending the scope of the digitization itself.

Digitization project dilemmas: Time (3) Digitization of selected titles from the collection in full versus digitize only the earliest issues from all titles

Digitization project dilemmas: Time & Budget (3) Accepting available private donations that may decrease control over open access and/or usage of the digitized items versus limit the operation to slow hard-to-get public/institutional funding only.

Digitization project dilemmas: Time &Ethics Post all digitized issues online for public access versus allowing for full clarification of Copyrights status and acquiring of legal consent beforehand. ---------------------------“The Peace Library has made every reasonable effort to locate, contact and acknowledge copyright owners and wishes to be informed by any copyright owners who are not properly identified and acknowledged on this website so that we may make any necessary corrections. ”

In Conclusion: Inspired by the spirit and legacy of Givat Haviva, this project deals not only with the preservation of the Palestinian heritage, but bears with it as well invaluable assets for the future study and research of the evolution of the State of Israel, and Israeli Arab society in particular.