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The paper identifies the already digitized and publicly accessible online manuscript heritage collections (websites) in Lithuania. The object of research was the quality of digitized manuscript heritage collections, i.e. any manuscripts collections, archives, sets presented in the form of a website, published and publicly available on the Internet. A correlation among good practice standards and international recommendations is analyzed. The analysis is based on the MINERVA quality principles for cultural heritage sites. It is concluded that the weakness of the Lithuanian websites is their maintaining and continuity, their strong sides being the quality of technological execution. The current situation is stated (compilers of current projects, the published and publicly available collections) and recommendations for the future projects are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the research depending to the history of the librarianship of Lithuania is directly social situation connected to the political and in the state in the beginning of the 19th century and the dispersion of the ideas of the Enlightenment all over Europe. The article explores various historical sources (library manuscript catalogues, book proveniences, orders of tsar, correspondence of Vilnius University with the imperial administration) to investigate the period from the time Lithuania was annexed by Russia and Vilnius Jesuit Academy was reorganised to the imperial university in 1803 by tsar Alexander I up to the date Vilnius University activity was interrupted by the orders of tsar Nicholas I in 1832, which coincided with the noticeable alteration in the educational system, new subordination and points of the academical community, changed structure, financing, replenishment methods and finally the partition of Vilnius University library. The main notice of the article is to refer to a description of influence of the imperial government to the library and Vilnius University community as the most educated part of Lithuanian society of this epoch for compare appropriate characteristics with and the substantiality at the end of the 18th century when the local community and its library was under leadership of the order of Jesuits (dissolved in Europe in 1773) to examine existing positive estimations of the traditional historiography on the issue. The research covers some directions of Vilnius academical community activity under changing conditions related to the replenishing of the library (using traditional and the new forms), management, catalogues rewriting, imperial censorship, propaganda and the painful partition of book collection confiscated from the closed Vilnius University and lifted to Kiev and Charkov universities, the gymnasium of Orsha (now -- Mogilev district, Belarus) and to other libraries of the empire of Russia. After the detailed analysis of significant historical documents kept in Lithuanian State Historical Archive and Vilnius University Library it is recovered the negative impact of the Russian imperial Government authority both for the local community and its library as well. It is disclosed that next to particular progressive changes in the field of the library financing and replenishing of the book collection by European science papers and popular periodicals, such as "Journal des sçavans" by D. De Sallo (Paris, 1665-1797), "Allgemaine Literatur Zeitung" by F. J. J. Bertuch (Halle, 1804-1849), "Bibliotheca italiana, o sia Giornale di letteratura scienze ed arti compilato da vari letterati" (Milano, 1816-1840), "The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufacturers, Fashions and Politics" by R. Ackermann (London, 1809-1829), "The Repertory of patent inventions, and other discoveries and improvements in arts, manufactures, and agriculture" (London, 1825-1862), "The Annals, Edinhourgh Medical und Surgical Journal" (Edinbourgh, 1805-1855, etc.). The Russian imperial authorities forwarded significant loses of values, changed essential points of members of the local academical community, limitated the access of works of modern European authors (Voltaire, C. F. de Volney, P. H. Holbach, D. Diderot, etc.) and influenced the straitening of dispersion of ideas of the Enlightenment, influenced the obsolescence of Vilnius University library and the noticeable interruption of development of the traditional European librarianship in Vilnius social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until World War II, there were few Lithuanians in Australia. Their numbers were boosted when 10,000 Lithuanian refugees arrived in this country in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many congregated in the larger cities and established the structures necessary for the preservation of their national identity. These structures included Lithuanian newspapers and books, weekend schools, choirs and folk-dancing groups, Lithuanian libraries, credit unions, etc. All these initiatives were aimed at preserving the Lithuanian heritage, the "lietuvybė", and were addressed at the Lithuanian-speaking newcomers. These former refugees were still passionately hoping for an early liberation of their homeland, especially in their early years in Australia. At the same time, prompt assimilation of the European immigrants was in the forefront of the Australian Government's policy. Most Lithuanians managed to meet the Government's requirement without losing their "lietuvybė" -- an interesting phenomenon that has been studied in its own right and needs further in-depth discussion. In spite of the significant input by 10,000 Lithuanian migrants, however, the Australian population at large knew very little, or nothing at all, about Lithuania and its people. The Australian Lithuanians, aided by their Baltic colleagues, belatedly realised that it was not enough to document the Lithuanian identity and heritage just in Lithuanian. All about the Lithuanians, and the other Balts, had to be made known to Australians, in English. As a short-term measure, new newspapers, bulletins, leaflets and media releases were produced in English, featuring the facts of the foreign rule in the Baltics. Books started appearing on similar topics. In Australia today, some of the Lithuanian heritage continues to be recorded and published, in English. However, this work is carried out piecemeal and under difficul conditions. There is only one English-language Lithuanian journal in Australasia and in the whole Southern Hemisphere (Lithuanian Papers). Over 30 English-language books published in Australia during the past 50 years describe Lithuania and its people. Some are devoted entirely to this topic. Others have merely a chapter or two on Lithuania. Whether lengthy or brief, a number of these volumes are of a high standard; but several others are erroneous and misleading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the social role of local cultural institutions of all kinds has changed. A shift from the use of information on traditional paper-based carriers to electronic formats has takenplace. The implementation of technology has brought about the modernisation of basic work processes and widened the range of services and channels of access. There is closer intra- and interdomain co-operation both at national and international level. It is no longer easy to draw clear boundaries between archives, libraries and museums in terms of digital content provision.Memory institutions such as libraries, museums and archives are adjusting themselves to the digital age. Web-based services have been expanded, remote use of online catalogues and the accessibility of digitised heritage have all been improved. The task now is to create and promote new services which reach and motivate more people. New services require new tools, many of them ICT-based – and above all a new attitude.CALIMERA (Cultural Applications: Local Institutions Mediating Electronics Resource Access) Co-ordination Action, funded under Information Society Technologies Sixth Framework Programme has set out to help ordinary citizens right across Europe to join e-Europe through the digital services provided by their local cultural institutions. CALIMERA has continued to contribute to the sharing of best practice, producing guidelines and roadmaps with a special focus of local archives and museums and addressing the needs of the end user.The aim of CALIMERA Best Practice Guidelines is to provide policy makers and professionals working in cultural institutions at the local level with a concise and relevant summary of the state of the art in the use of new technologies. These Guidelines are intended to explain in a readable way how these technologies can be deployed to develop digital services designed to meet real user needs – social, cultural and economics – to stimulate wider take-up and creativity among the professional community. They are also intended to support a clearer understanding of the way in which local cultural services can play a key role in the fulfilment of major policy goals in Europe,including those of the e-Europe Action Plan.There are 23 separate Guidelines in all structured as three main roups covering Social, Management and Technical issues. Life-long learning, social disjuncture, cultural diversity, egovernment,social and economical development are the main problems discussed in the Social Policy Guidelines. In Management Guidelines one can meet the same problems discussed form another point. Strategic planning, co-operation and partnership, business models, new challenges forthe employees, activity and evaluation, legal and juridical aspects are tightly connected to the problems mentioned above and can help successfully resolve them. Technical aspects of resolving the problems are described in the third part – Technological Guidelines. Each section of the Guidelines ends up with the list of references to the library, museums and archives as well as other cultural and political organizations best practice examples from all over the world.