A digital (or virtual, both of them are possible) library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media). These collections are accessible by computers, so that we will always have the opportunity to access to them whenever or any time we have got a computer. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. A digital library is a type of information retrieval system.
The World Digital Library (also known as WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress. It ,the WDL, makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world.
The principal objectives of the WDL are to:
- Promote international and intercultural understanding;
- Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet;
- Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences;
- Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries.
The World Digital Libray was launched last year (the 21 of April) in the “sede” of the Unesco in Paris. It has also have lots of collaborators which have made possible its creation, such us Microsoft or Google, or the Wellcome Collection (United Kingdom) and the United States Library of Congress.
As of launch, the library has 1,170 items, and the interface is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
References:
- World Digital Library. (2009, December 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:43, January 28, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=World_Digital_Library&oldid=333751909
- About World Digital Library. In World Digital Libray. Retrieved 12: 46, January 28, 2010, from http://www.wdl.org/en/about/
- La mayor “catedral intelectual” se alza en Internet. (Madrid – 09/04/2009) In El País. Retrieved 12:47, January 28, from http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/mayor/catedral/intelectual/alza/Internet/elpepucul/20090409elpepucul_2/Tes
- Digital library. (2010, January 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:50, January 28, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Digital_library&oldid=339307582
