DSpace for Digital Libraries: the enhancement of Natural History and Anatomical Collections with DSpace-GLAM

Nov 24, 2025

DSpace for Digital Libraries: the enhancement of Natural History and Anatomical Collections with DSpace-GLAM. The cultural heritage preserved by Italian universities is vast and varied and often includes, in addition to books, archival and artistic assets, naturalistic (botanical, mineralogical) and anatomical collections. These particular categories of materials have also been the focus, over time, of important digitization initiatives aimed at enhancing their value and making them accessible to a wider audience.

Managing naturalistic and anatomical heritage represents a challenging yet stimulating task for Digital Libraries: ensuring interoperability with other documentation while maintaining strict adherence to the specific standards of each domain.

The extensible data model and the ability to define multiple relationships among digital objects are the key to the success of DSpace-GLAM in showcasing these types of heritage.

Use Cases

DSpace for Digital Libraries: the enhancement of Natural History and Anatomical Collections with DSpace-GLAM. In addition to other scientific collections, Digital Library PAVIA hosts digitized plant specimens from the Herbarium Universitatis Ticinensis. These include the Herbarium of Fulgenzio Vitman, dating back to the 18th century—likely the oldest herbarium specimens preserved by a Lombard institution (https://www.bibliotecadigitale.unipv.eu/cris/fonds/fonds12579/fondsinformation.html). DSpace-GLAM made it possible to link the scholar’s works with studies related to his activity.

The University of Urbino has recently enriched Sanzio Digital Heritage by adding mineralogical materials from the Franchin Collection, consisting of 700 mineral specimens from around the world.

The Vanvitelli Digital Library of the University of Campania hosts materials from the Anatomical Museum: users can view anatomical preparations, mainly wax models, as well as the “Crani della Vicaria,” a group of four skulls belonging to criminals executed in April 1800 at the Tribunal of Vicaria.

The Vanvitelli Digital Library of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli hosts materials from the Anatomical Museum, part of the broader “University Museum Complex of Science and Arts” (MUSA). It preserves unique collections of anatomical preparations that—due to their quantity, variety of techniques, and preservation methods—constitute a heritage of unparalleled historical, scientific, and educational value from one of the oldest medical faculties in the world. Currently, the VDL offers access to anatomical preparations (mainly wax models), pharmacological plant substances preserved in the Museum, and the “Crani della Vicaria” collection, consisting of four skulls of criminals executed in April 1800 in the Tribunal of Vicaria.

Thanks to the relationships defined within the DSpace-GLAM system, these materials lend themselves to multiple levels of interpretation: the study of a territory’s natural environment, the history of scientific disciplines, the formation of university museum collections, and even the reconstruction of criminal events dating back more than 200 years.

This reflects one of the longstanding goals of DSpace-GLAM: analyzing cultural digital resources from different perspectives and according to multiple dimensions of variability.

Digital Library: What is DSpace-GLAM?

DSpace-GLAM is the Digital Library Management System developed by 4Science based on the open-source DSpace Digital Asset Management System, dedicated to creating and managing digital cultural collections. The acronym GLAM highlights its ability to accommodate and manage multiple cultural domains: ancient and modern books, photographs, archival holdings, newspaper collections, museum objects, documents, videos, audio, maps, and more. Collections, archives, and fonds can be explored together, offering an extraordinary journey through new digital cultural landscapes.

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