Digitisation
Transforming Ireland’s Heritage for the Digital Age
From rare manuscripts to historic photographs, we are working to bring more of our collections online. This makes them easier to view, study and enjoy, no matter where you are in the world.
Digitisation
Digitisation is the process of converting physical materials — such as photographs, letters, books, newspapers, recordings and physical objects — into digital formats. At the National Library of Ireland, digitisation helps us protect fragile originals while making Ireland’s cultural heritage more accessible to people everywhere.
Why We Digitise
- To protect original materials from damage caused by handling or age
- To widen access, especially for those who cannot visit the Library in person
- To support research, learning and discovery through searchable, high-quality digital copies
Behind the Scenes
Digitisation is more than just scanning. It involves expertise and coordination across NLI teams and departments, including:
- Selecting and prioritising material for digitisation
- Creating metadata so that each item can be found, understood and cited, and so that the rights and reuse permissions are clear for users
- Carrying out conservation works to prepare material for handling and scanning
- High-resolution imaging to capture detail and clarity
- Ongoing storage, management, and online delivery of digitised content
- Interpretation and re-use of digitised content in exhibitions, learning and communications.
Explore Our Digital Collections
Many of our collections are already available online, including historic photographs, newspapers and periodicals, and manuscripts, letters and diaries.
We are continually expanding our digital collections. You can explore our digitised materials in our catalogue.