The Joanina Library houses a unique collection of several thousand printed books from the Early Modern era. Extending from the beginnings of typography to the end of the 18th century, this collection bears witness to the production, circulation, and organization of knowledge in that period. Considered one of the most significant baroque libraries in the world, the Joanina Library is also one of the historic buildings that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the University of Coimbra.
The Joanina Digital Project aims to digitize the Joanina Library collection and create a multifunctional platform. In addition to building a structured repository, the project provides access to all digitized content as facsimile images and text. Joanina Digital adopts principles of open science and interoperability, follows best practices for digitization of historical collections, develops policies and procedures to manage content and services at scale.
When completed, the Joanina Digital Library will include approximately 30,000 works stored on the main floor of the library. This project is the result of a partnership between the University of Coimbra and Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), with the sponsorship of H.H. Sheikh Doctor Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi.
