Audiovisual and/or multimedia resources preserved on conventional carriers such as CD or CD-ROM, cassette, video, etc. are made available by the University and State Library in the following ways:

• as loans
  
• CD-ROM server (University network)
  
• individual computer workstation (catalogue room)
  

Depending on their importance, certain materials are concentrated in the relevant branch libraries (musical recordings in the music branch; learning programmes in the foreign language or linguistics or education sections; instructional videos in medicine, physical education etc.).

Visualization via Internet and the concomitant option of the online-availability of especially valuable or useful media resources are the focus of numerous projects - either completed or in various stages of development - at the University and State Library. The individual media resources include:

• Scanned items from the library's established collections:
  
• Alphabetical and subject-classified card-image catalogues (http://zkat.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/)
• Old maps
  (www.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/karten/)
• Selection of old newspapers
• Portraits

• Online publications on research and teaching at the Martin Luther University:
  
• Dissertations
  (http://sundoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/pub/index.htm)
• Publication and multimedia server (http://edoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de)
• Multimedia items (for the most part in preparation)
  
• Taped television transmissions::
  TV programmes with relevance for the special-subject collection "Middle East/North Africa" of the University and State Library and the Centre of Oriental Studies of the Martin Luther University
  TV programmes of regional significance relevant to the Library's function as the State Library of Saxony-Anhalt
• Digitalized videos:
  instructional videos, focus on the study of medicine
• Video recordings:
  courses of study (all subjects) on a server. Developing a server in the media and communications department of the German Studies Institute
• Live transmissions:
  courses of study (all subjects) in stream mode

The Virtual Specialized Library on the Middle East/North Africa (VFB VO/NA) is being developed in connection with a project of the University and State Library's special collection field. Its most important aim is the integration of scattered resources into a cooperative structure based on digital techniques. In keeping with the classic tasks of a library, the main task of VFB VO/NA consists in the electronically aided collecting, developing and disseminating of information. This pertains not only to information originally stored digitally but also to conventionally stored information which by means of data conversion is put into digital format and can be disseminated electronically.
Another central task of the Virtual Specialized Library is to foster scholarly discourse. The current project status can be checked under: http://ssgdoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de

© 2002-2008 Netzwerk Mediatheken / Network of Multimedia Resource Centres