IPCE Photo Library (Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain)

At present, the improvement in the conservation and accessibility of many collections and backgrounds of photography present in archives and libraries is very significant. The current needs for the conservation of photographic heritage in the archives are based on the need to address mass work programs, given the high volume of photographic heritage that is held in this type of institution, and the need to look for work formulas organized in short, medium and long-term programs. From this need the IPCE Photo Library was born, as the medium that brings together in its archive a large quantity of photographic collections of the Spanish Historical Heritage to be digitized. The digitized archives are accessible through Hispana and are incorporated into the European digital library Europeana, as well as the virtual catalog of the Historical Heritage Photo Library. The archive's background is made up of 700,000 photographic documents specialized in Cultural Heritage, of which 150,000 are cataloged, digitized and accessible through the web. All digitized images are of high quality and are associated with basic catalog data, such as location, authorship of the photographic document, its place of production, etc. The creation of this microsite, together with an intense work of cataloging and digitizing the photographic background, allows deepening the knowledge of the collection, as well as guaranteeing its preservation and promoting its dissemination and public enjoyment.