Towards a More Complete “National Memory”: Taiwan Memory and Taiwan Memory Online Exhibitions and Management System Project as Example

Abstract

In this paper, the author firstly tried to define conceptually about a so-called ‘national memory’, and to discuss the ideology for the assertion. Then, taking the Taiwan Memory Online Exhibition and Management System Project as an example, the author introduced how the National Central Library (NCL hereafter) carried out the preliminary outcome of the project, the major concern in planning of the functionalities and the Website's presentations, and the mechanism utilized to ensure cost-effectiveness and correctness in realization of some valuable core theories of library science. The following topics regarding the initiation and the follow-up development of this project were covered and discussed in the paper: 1. Discussions on formation of a so-called ‘national memory’ 2. Purposes of the project 3. The long-term development plan of the project 4. Strategic plan for content development for topical articles 5. Core theories of library sciences and system goals 6. Considerations for the Website design for this project and the associated approach 7. Creative technical methodology for the enhancement of metadata records and its benefit In summary, it is planned that the Taiwan Memory Online Exhibitions will be series of topical presentations, accompanied with a friendly touch-screen browsing interface for thematic collection(s) from Taiwan Memory. It is possible to re-use anyone of the topical/thematic exhibitions in a physical site. Besides, as resources in this exhibitions and management system had been well indexed from different properties, it is also possible to filter out additional specific thematic collections for other exhibition needs. The creative technical methodology, i.e., automatic terms inputting method, was practically used in construction of layered subject fields and ethnic groups' names, and has been estimated to have saved three fourth of time and cost needed in constructing these columns. It is hoped that in the future, the Taiwan Memory Online Exhibition project could get more collaboration from researchers, scholars, and educators so that the utmost goal of the Taiwan Memory as a ‘national memory’ could be achieved.