Here is the story of Beowulf.
Beowulf is a treasure of the British Library. "It is an Old English heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship. This work of Anglo-Saxon literature dates to between the 8th and the 11th century, the only surviving European manuscript dating to the early 11th century. At 3,183 lines, it is notable for its length." (excerpt from Wikipedia)
The manuscript was badly damaged by fire in 1731. 18th-century transcripts mention hundreds of words and letters which were then visible along the charred edges, and subsequently crumbled away over the years. To halt this process, each leaf was mounted on a paper frame in 1845.
Scholarly discussions on the date of creation and provenance of the poem continue around the world, and researchers regularly require access to the manuscript. Taking Beowulf out of its display case for study not only raised conservation issues, it also made it unavailable for the many visitors who were coming to the Library expecting to see this literary treasure on display. Digitization of the manuscript offered a solution to these problems, as well as providing new opportunities for readers, and for the world to enjoy.
The Electronic Beowulf Project was launched as a huge database of digital images of the Beowulf manuscript and related manuscripts and printed texts. In 1998, the database included fiber-optic readings of hidden letters and ultraviolet readings of erased text in the manuscript; full electronic facsimiles of the 18th-century transcripts of the manuscript; and selections from important 19th-century collations, editions and translations. Major additions were planned, such as images of contemporary manuscripts, and links with the Toronto Dictionary of Old English Project and with the comprehensive Anglo-Saxon bibliographies of the Old English Newsletter.
The project was developed in partnership with two leading experts, Kevin Kiernan, from the University of Kentucky and Paul Szarmach, from the Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University. Professor Kiernan edited the electronic archive and produced a CD-ROM containing a number of electronic images.
Brian Lang, chief executive of the British Library, explained in 1998: "The Beowulf manuscript is a unique treasure and imposes on the Library a responsibility to scholars throughout the world. Digital photography offered for the first time the possibility of recording text concealed by early repairs, and a less expensive and safer way of recording readings under special light conditions. It also offers the prospect of using image enhancement technology to settle doubtful readings in the text. Network technology has facilitated direct collaboration with American scholars and makes it possible for scholars around the world to share in these discoveries. Curatorial and computing staff learned a great deal which will inform any future programmes of digitization and network service provision the Library may undertake, and our publishing department is considering the publication of an electronic scholarly edition of Beowulf. This work has not only advanced scholarship; it has also captured the imagination of a wider public, engaging people (through press reports and the availability over computer networks of selected images and text) in the appreciation of one of the primary artifacts of our shared cultural heritage." (excerpt from the 1998 website)
The British Library was a pioneer in Europe. Other treasures of the library were already online: Magna Carta, the first English constitutional text, signed in 1215, with the Great Seal of King John; the Lindisfarne Gospels, dated 698; the Diamond Sutra, dated 868, which could be the world's earliest print book; the Sforza Hours, dated 1490-1520, an outstanding Renaissance treasure; the Codex Arundel, a notebook of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519), and the Tyndale New Testament, the first English version of the New Testament, printed by Peter Schoeffer, in Worms.
Brian King also stated the importance of the paper world, and the ongoing commitment of the British Library to its paper collections. He added: "The importance of digital materials will, however, increase. We recognize that network infrastructure is at present most strongly developed in the higher education sector, but there are signs that similar facilities will also be available elsewhere, particularly in the industrial and commercial sector, and for public libraries. Our vision of network access encompasses all these. (…) The development of the Digital Library will enable the British Library to embrace the digital information age. Digital technology will be used to preserve and extend the Library's unparalleled collection. Access to the collection will become boundless with users from all over the world, at any time, having simple, fast access to digitized materials using computer networks, particularly the internet." (excerpt from the website)
Other national libraries started digitizing their collections to offer a free digital library.