manuscripts and early printed books, scattered across libraries and archives worldwide, constitute a valuable part of the national cultural heritage. Access to these materials has traditionally been constrained by spatial and temporal limitations. The aim of this paper is to analyze fieldwork experiences in researching such materials and to define long-term objectives for digital cultural heritage projects. The research is based on extensive fieldwork involving the processing of several thousand Serbian medieval manuscripts, printed books, and archival materials held in international collections, utilizing innovative technologies. These technologies have proven essential for the effective preservation and presentation of cultural materials.