The National Scientific Library of Georgia holds the Library-Museum of Joseph Grishashvili, one of the most valuable and full archives in the Caucasus. The material covers a period shaped by international struggles of power. Due to the vulnerability of the material, there is an urgent need of preservation.
The materials in this project were collected by Georgian writer and scientist Joseph Grishashvili and include rare books, journals, magazines, newspapers, photos, maps, letters, and sound recordings in Georgian, Russian, Armenian and other languages. This includes the first printed publications of Georgia. The collection contains exceptional materials on the history, ethnography, culture, languages, and politics of the region around Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Eastern Turkey, Iran, and Southern Russia. The collection, dating from 18th century until the mid-20th century, covers a period of significant changes: from the period of cultural and political dominance of medieval Iran and Turkey, through the increasing power of Russia, the development of the oil business in Europe, ending with Bolshevik revolution.
Preservation conditions in the library have been declining since the 1990s. Due to poor financial support, the library is not able to improve substantially the conditions of the material.
The project digitised 2,673 items from the collection, including 11 albums. The staff of the Library were trained in digitisation, IT skills, and digital preservation. These skills have been shared through workshops with members of other libraries and institutions.
