Abstract
Following a brief presentation of the database activities of the Cellule MathDoc (CMD), the paper focuses on the NUMDAM project lead by CMD on behalf of the CNRS. The purpose of the project is the retro-digitization of mathematical materials back to the 19th Century in order to contribute to the preservation of the world's cultural heritage in mathematics and improve mathematicians' access to the literature.
The basic elements underlying NUMDAM are non-proprietary standards, such as XML and Unicode, a highly structured hyperlink model and collaboration with the various players in the scientific publishing community. A preliminary version of the NUMDAM site, conforming to the basic tenets of an OAI environment, was opened at the end of 2002. This paper also covers the major issues of metadata, intellectual property rights, copyright, and economic models. Examples of NUMDAM-related projects are given. In conclusion, some good practices on the part of researchers are discussed.