Department Digital Library: from a collector of digital resources to a tool for research, teaching and the third mission

Abstract

The article presents the evolution of the Digital Library of the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies of the University of Bologna (DL FICLIT) as a case study of the transition from a digital repository to a tool for research, teaching, and dissemination in the digital ecosystem. Designed to publish the department’s digital collections, initial requirements have progressively been expanded and the ability to integrate content with critical contributions emerged. Additionally, there has been a growing request to offer targeted reading perspectives for different user profiles. This prompted a reconsideration of the DL’s role beyond implementation, management, and maintenance methodologies, identifying its renewed role in the department’s activities in the coming years. This resulted in changes to the DL’s editorial process, new requirements for the software platform, and a multi-year development program. A program involving several players: lecturers and researchers, technicians and librarians, students, and the public. By reframing the path taken so far, and displaying the program for the future, the article aims to contribute to the debate on the role that the DLs of Italian university departments will be able to assume in the emerging Cultural Heritage ecosystem that the Ministry of Culture foresees with the National Digitisation Plan.