Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the three aspects of the construction and common use of old document DB in the foreign countries:ⅰ) the processing of old documents, ⅱ) the problem and improvement of DB systems of old documents, and ⅲ) the common use of old document DB. Results from this research are as follows: The National Library of Korea(NLK) copied old documents in the foreign countries from 1982 to 2006 and published the brief catalog. The Reogang Publishing company issued four volumes catalogs of old document in Japan. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage(NRICH) investigated old books and published some catalogs of several organizations in Japan, America, France, and all. The National Institute of Korean History(NIKH) investigated old archives and published some catalogs of several organizations in Japan. The characteristics of the Korean Old and Rare Collection Information System(KORCIS) of the NLK, the Old Books Cultural Heritage in Overseas System of the NRICH, and the Korea History DB System and MF Catalog/ Image System of NIKH were described in the DB systems of old documents, the problems of DB systems were checked over and some alternatives were suggested. In the common use of old document DB, KORMARC format and description rules(draft) for archives should be revised to adopt a new standard such as KS editions, and all the institutes involved should thoroughly follow the standards, when creating bibliographic records and digitizing texts. It is necessary to educate and train the specialists of old documents. A government organization should be established to supervise all the procedures of developing technology for sharing digitized resources, using contents, and cooperating with the related internationl organiztions and institutes.