High-Tech and Historical Meet in "Turning the Pages"
Electronic-Book Technology Lets Readers Explore Rare Volumes,
Virtually
Have you ever seen a beautiful old book housed in a glass case,
with only one page set open? Did you wish you could actually leaf
through it? Now, you can.
The first U.S. site of "Turning the Pages," a remarkable program
developed at the British Library, is now at the National Library of
Medicine. On March 16th, the Library unveiled a digitally browsable
version of Elizabeth Blackwell's Curious Herbal, a lovely collection
of illustrations of medicinal plants published between 1737 and
1739.
Mrs. Blackwell's story is a classic in itself - she created the
herbal book to raise money for the release of her husband from
debtors' prison. And, judging from the response so far, "Turning the
Pages" is an instant classic, pairing history and high technology
for an exceptional learning experience.
 NLM Director Dr. Donald
A.B. Lindberg demonstrates "Turning the Pages" for Erinn Dumas, a
senior at Woodrow Wilson High School, Washington, DC. Wilson is one
of NLM's adopted high schools and Erinn works part- time in NLM's
Office of Communications.
"Turning the Pages" was dedicated in a live transatlantic
ceremony, featuring NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg in
Bethesda, and Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British
Library, and NLM Deputy Director Kent A. Smith, in London. Smith was
the driving force behind NLM's acquisition of "Turning the Pages."
"Turning the Pages" uses computer animation, high- quality
digitized images and touch screen technology to simulate the action
of leafing through the pages of a book. "The sensation is uncannily
real," said Dr. Lindberg. "It reveals the significance and beauty of
rare volumes in a way never before possible. We are grateful to the
British Library for creating the system and letting us be the first
to use it in this country," he added.
In addition to looking at Mrs. Blackwell's colorful drawings by
moving a finger across the screen and going forward or backward in
the volume, the "reader" can touch "ZOOM" and focus on any portion
of the page desired. An audioclip then provides information about
the section of the book selected.
This is the first of several volumes for which NLM plans to
employ the technology. The second will be Vesalius's Humani corporis
fabrica ("On the construction of the human body"), a 16th century
work considered the first truly modern anatomical text. "Turning the
Pages" has become a popular tourist attraction in London, and the
hope is that it will become a similar mecca at NIH. Even Queen
Elizabeth II received a demonstration of "TTP" at the British
Library. The problem was, she wears gloves at all public
appearances, and the touch screen doesn't respond to fabric; it
needs the traction created by direct contact with flesh to function
properly.
"Turning the Pages" is located in the NLM Visitors Center, on the
first floor of Building 38A, the Lister Hill Center. You can view it
between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays.
(You're advised not to visit "Turning the Pages" between 1:30 and
2:30 p.m., the time of the Library's daily public tour.) NLM's chief
of graphics, Joseph Fitzgerald, served as project director for
"Turning the Pages." | 
