The World Digital Library Initiative

John Van OudenarenLibrary of CongressPresentation to the Third SEEDI ConferenceCetinje, MontenegroSeptember 13, 2007

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The World Digital Library Initiative

Vision: To create a digital library of significant original materials representing all of the major cultures from across the globe and make it accessible to students, educators, and the general public

Objectives:– Promote international and inter-cultural understanding and awareness– Provide a resource for educators that matches the needs of a globalized, wireless world– Display rare and unique content of interest to scholars and the general public

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The World Digital Library – Partners

UNESCONational libraries and other cultural

institutionsIFLAThe technology community

Librarian of Congress proposes World Digital Library to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO

Google gives Library of Congress $3 million for planning phase of the project

Conclusion of agreements with partner institutions in Brazil, Russia, Egypt

Site mockup and draft proposal presented to UNESCO in Paris; formation of Working Groups

Conclusion of agreements with UNESCO and with additional partner institutions

WDL prototype to be unveiled at UNESCO General Conference, Paris

Completion of WDL plan and full-scale launch of the project

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The World Digital Library – Dates and Milestones

June 2005:

November 2005:

2006:

December 2006:

2007:

October 2007:

September 2008:

Not just a big website!

Three pillars:Content acquisitionConstruction of a sustainable network

for production and distribution of content

The web site: www.worlddigitallibrary.org

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The World Digital Library – Implementation

Key objective: Work with partners to digitize content in places where little or no scanning is being done

– bring to light “hidden treasures”

Selection Working Group to establish criteria

Maintain and build upon existing scanning operations:– Cairo– Rio de Janeiro– Moscow– St. Petersburg– Novosibirsk (mobile scanning team for Siberia)

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Pillar I: Content Acquisition

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Pillar I: Content Acquisition

Establish additional scanning operations AfricaCentral AmericaThe CaribbeanOther

Pursue other methods of content acquisition - Re-purposing of already-digitized material

All arrangements are non-exclusive(content can be on WDL, national, regional, other

projects)

WDL-IFLA Best Practices Working Group established to set guidelines for new digitization efforts

(Meetings: Washington, May 2007; Durban, August 2007)

Key objective: Create and distribute content in a way that makes the most sense in terms of cost and technical factors and in ways that build capacity in the developing world

Network is both a technical infrastructure and a community of institutions, scholars, curators, linguists, technologists

Technical Working Group to establish standards, architecture (first meeting: Stanford University, April 2007)

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Pillar II. Construction of a Sustainable International Network

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Pillar II. Construction of a Sustainable International Network

Network nodes for creation of the World Digital Library: digitization of content cataloging translation development of editorial and

educational content

Network nodes for distribution: central site mirrored sites

First mirrored sites: Washington, DC and Alexandria, Egypt

Key objective: Present cultural content in a way that appeals to (and thus will be used by) the new generation of Internet users, both in the United States and internationally

Prototype under development

Multilingual: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese

High quality user experience Fast, seamless

Ability to search and browse a large volume of content

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Pillar III: The Web Site

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Pillar III: The Web Site

Multi-format: manuscripts maps photographs, prints, postcards rare books sound and video clips 3-D presentations of architectural monuments

Special features with experts, scholars, curators

Educational content for teachers and students

Social networking features

Adjustments to developing-country conditions; low bandwidth and mobile device solutions

Pillar III: The Website

• Partners in developing the prototype– Russian State Library– National Library of Egypt– National Library of Brazil– National Library of Russia– Bibliotheca Alexandrina

• Other contributors- Google, Apple, Intel- OCLC- Stanford, University of Maryland

The World Digital Library Initiative

Next Steps

Solicit feedback on the prototypeDraft a multilateral charter and establish a WDL

organization with a board and membersEnlist additional members from all continents, cultures,

contentDevelop the websiteDevelop the networkSecure additional funding

GovernmentsFoundationsCompanies