Retrodigitalisering på Det Kgl. Bibliotek – Et historisk overblik

Abstract

The article presents the first comprehensive analysis of the development of retro-digitisation
at the Royal Danish Library from the 1990s to the present day. Drawing on both
internal and external sources, we analyse how technologies, priorities, and practices
have shaped the digitisation of the library’s physical cultural heritage collections. The
analysis is structured as a matrix-framework that combines a chronological periodisation
with three main themes: external factors (political, economic), internal factors
(organisation, strategy, prioritisation), and technological factors (digitisation, access).
This approach allows for a systematic analysis of both continuity and change in the
digitisation effort. The article demonstrates how digitisation has increased access to
cultural heritage, but also imposed new challenges related to technological bias, lack of
transparency, and the risk of marginalising physical collections. We particularly discuss
the implications of project-based funding, fragmented documentation of digitisation
practices, and the growing importance of post-processing digitised materials, including
derived data within a digital research and dissemination context. The article argues for
greater transparency regarding choices and omissions, technical solutions, and representation
if digitisation is to ensure democratic access and critical use of sources. By
documenting the institutional history of digitisation, we point to how a more informed
and transparent practice can shape the future management of digital cultural heritage.