E-Culture Platform (Unified Portal for Digitised and Digital Cultural and Audiovisual Content, Electronic Services and Dissemination), 2023–2026

Project implementation period

5 October 2023 – 30 April 2026

Project funding source and value

The project is funded by the European Union (NextGenerationEU) and Lithuania’s Recovery and Resilience Plan “New Generation Lithuania”. The total project value is EUR 23.8 million.

Project promoter

Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

Project partners

Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania, Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Lithuanian Audiosensory Library, Lithuanian National Radio and Television, Lithuanian Central State Archives, Lithuanian Film Centre under the Ministry of Culture, Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, State Commission for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania, Secretariat of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO, Lithuanian Dance Information Centre, National Kaunas Drama Theatre, Lithuanian National Culture Centre, Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Meno Avilys, Contemporary Art Centre, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the State Choir Vilnius.

Project objective

The project aims to increase access to culture and the reuse of cultural content by creating a common digital data platform for cultural institutions and implementing integrated organisational and technological solutions.

Problem addressed by the project

The main problem is the low level of cultural digitisation and the insufficient or unattractive accessibility of digital and digitised cultural content.

The problem and its underlying causes can be divided into several areas:

• Unequal access to high-quality, professional and diverse cultural services limits public participation in cultural life, while the forms and dissemination methods of cultural content do not sufficiently meet the needs and expectations of individual users and different social groups.
• The technical limitations of cultural institutions’ information systems and databases, lack of organisational, technical and semantic interoperability, fragmented data, limited access to information and datasets, and the incompatibility and duplication of electronic services.
• Insufficient knowledge, competences and skills among managers of cultural resources when working with collective management organisations representing copyright and related rights, particularly in relation to publishing and reusing cultural resources in the digital environment.
• Limited accessibility, a lack of digital solutions and insufficient adapted content for persons with disabilities.
• A lack of innovative cultural content and products tailored to specific target groups, such as children and older people aged 65 and over.
• As technologies become obsolete, there is a risk that existing information may be lost, become unreadable or no longer remain accessible to users.

Project activities and sub-activities

• Development of an attractive user interface through partially consolidated implementation of the project programme. Creation of the E-Culture platform, a unified portal for digitised and digital cultural and audiovisual content, electronic services and dissemination.
• Modernisation of information systems and databases and ensuring data interoperability through partially consolidated implementation of the project programme.
  1. Modernisation of the Lithuanian Integrated Library Information System.
  2. Modernisation of the E-Cinema information system.
  3. Modernisation of the Musical Folklore Archive of the Research Centre at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
  4. Modernisation of the Lithuanian Integrated Museum Information System.
  5. Modernisation of the information system of the Lithuanian National Culture Centre.
  6. Modernisation of the Electronic Archive Information System.
  7. Preparation of an investment project.
• Implementation of modern technologies through partially consolidated implementation of the project programme. Preparation and upload of content to the E-Culture platform. Planned activities include expanding the use of the Europeana Data Model and providing related training; identifying and applying artificial intelligence solutions; selecting cultural content; identifying audiovisual content and promoting its reuse; developing a curated content model and preparing corresponding content; and analysing and addressing legal restrictions on the use of digital cultural objects.
• E-Culture communication. A project communication and public information campaign. Planned activities include presenting the E-Culture platform and its services to different user groups; introducing the public to the diversity of cultural content and its potential uses; and promoting the use of cultural content in education, tourism, cultural and creative industries, business and other areas.
• Digitisation of cultural content. Digitisation of cultural content in order to develop products and services that meet the needs of contemporary users.

Expected results and indicators

• A unified portal for digitised and digital cultural content, electronic services and dissemination will be created.
• Six information systems and databases of cultural institutions will be adapted for integration with the E-Culture platform.
• User-friendly products and electronic services based on modern technologies will be developed.
• The proportion of digitised cultural content will increase.
• A communication strategy will be implemented.
• More than 12 agreements will be signed and implemented with owners of digital and digitised cultural resources to make these resources available and accessible to users.
• Fifty immovable cultural heritage sites with monument status will be digitised in 3D format.
• The number of users of new and improved public digital services, products and processes will exceed 100,000, measured on 31 December 2026.