In order to draw attention to the international restitution program and promote the experience of handling captured and rare collections the All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature /VGBIL/ would like to implement in the year 1999 a complex program of work with looted editions which would serve to identification and provision of free access to collections applying traditional methods and new technologies.

The program is three-fold:

1. Digitalisation of the printed version of the "Spoils of War" International Newsletter and publishing it on the VGBIL server with a possibility of accessing the newsletter through Internet.

2. Creation of an electronic database of owners' inscriptions of rare and displaced editions in major European languages based on the VGBIL's rare books collection and providing access to it through Internet.

3. Compiling of a printed version of the "Index of Former Owners of the VGBIL Rare Books Department Collection"

The project will use a complex and economical, as far as technical means are concerned, approach and will combine efforts of the experts of the VGBIL's four departments in order to address the issue of the restitution program.

The coverage of all the program's components will be given on the VGBIL's server which presupposes a creation of a separate regularly updated web page.

At the end of the first stage of the project under the condition of additional funding it is planned to get down to the second stage of the project aimed at acquaintance of public with the restitution program by means of demonstration of the results of the three projects in the course of training workshops organised in Russian provincial towns which have displaced collections.

The projects are possible thanks to the financial support of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Moscow.

The project period: 12 months

The Project Supervisor: Elena L. Krepkova, Deputy Director General, VGBIL.

The introduction of the data for the English variant of the electronic version (4 issues) by means of page-by-page scanning of the printed issues, their digitalisation with the use of a reading program, its conversion into HTML format with further addition of search elements and links.

The introduction of the data for the Russian variant of the electronic version (translation into Russian of the 4 issues) is planned to be implemented with the use of the electronic material provided by the publisher, its conversion into HTML format with further addition of search elements and links.

The electronic version of the newsletter will be set up within four months and placed on the VGBIL server. It can be accessed free of charge at the following address: http://spoils.libfl.ru.

The Project group:

1. Kolosov, Kirill Anatolyevich -- Head, Information Technologies Department, VGBIL. Co-ordination, creation of the mailing list program and the subscribers database, keeping the project documentation.

2. Bakhmin, Andrei Vyacheslavovich -- WEB-master, VGBIL. Computer design of the on-line version of the newsletter (HTML, WEB-design), scanning of the texts.

3. Isanov, Dmitry Victorovich -- Programmer, VGBIL. Creation of the mailing list program and the subscribers database

The objective of the project is to establish a card index of owners of displaced rare books containing about 300 records based on the VGBIL's collection. Meeting the objective will involve the following activities:

• writing a program for setting up a database which will enable the users do the search by the owners' sings and standard fields of the bibliographic records;
• digitalisation of the card index;
• scanning of 600 images (titles and owners' signs);
• provision of the program compatibility of the database and images in order to be viewed with the help of Internet browsers.

The electronic database in Dutch, German, Latin, French, Italian and Polish will be created within 4 months since the beginning of financial support. It will be placed on VGBIL server accessed free of charge at the following address: http://spoils.libfl.ru

The Project group:

1. Kolosov, Kirill Anatolyevich - Head, Information Technologies Department, VGBIL. Co-ordination, creation of the mailing list program and the subscribers database, keeping the project documentation

2. Bakhmin, Andrei Vyacheslavovich - WEB-master, VGBIL. Computer design of the on-line version of the newsletter (HTML, WEB-design), scanning of the texts

3. Dmitrieva, Karina Alexandrovna - Head, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Co-ordination, compiling Index, translation notes for database, management of the project documentation

4. Korkmazova, Eugenia Alexandrovna - Deputy Head, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Books and symbols selection in the reserve department, cataloguing the books, input the catalogue entries in the database.

5. Zubkov, Nikolai Nikolaevitch - Researcher, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Attributing books symbols, editing catalogue entries. Foreword and methodical article.

6. Zhuravleva, Elena Vladimirovna - Chief librarian of the Rare Books Department, VGBIL Books and symbols selection, cataloguing, introduction of the catalogue entries to the database.

7. Ogienko, Natalia Alexandrovna - Librarian, Rare Book Department, VGBIL. Filling out the request forms for depository department, ordering the books, borrowing the books, books delivery to the Rare Books Department and the Information Centre for scanning, return of the books to the depository department, introduction of catalogue entries to the database.

8. Borovskaja, I. E. - Heard of the reserve rare-book group into the reserve department. Borrowing the request forms, forms registration, sorting the request forms by call numbers, lending the books, shelving.

The objective of the project is to compile a printed version of the "Index of Former Owners of the VGBIL Rare Books

Format 70x100/10 (16,5 x 24,0 cm.), two-colour pages, four-colour cover, binding, circulation 1,000 copies.

The Project group:

1. Dmitrieva, Karina Alexandrovna - Head, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Co-ordination, management of the project documentation, editing, proof-reading.

2. Korkmazova, Eugenia Alexandrovna - Deputy Head, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Editing, proof-reading.

3. Zubkov, Nikolai Nikolaevitch - Researcher, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Foreword and methodical article.

4. Zhuravleva, Elena Vladimirovna - Chief librarian, Rare Books Department, VGBIL. Editing, proof-reading.