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World Digital Library

Submitted by james on 05/02/2009
Region: 
USA World
Image: 
Innovation Blurb: 
A state-of-the-art repository of international cultural content promoting cross-border understanding
Web Site Link: 
http://www.wdl.org/en/

By collecting unique cultural materials from libraries and archives throughout the world and centralizing them in singular, multilingual, and annotated digital repository, UNESCO and 32 partner institutions have launched the World Digital Library, an effort that will expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, and help to promote international and intercultural understanding. The site includes manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, prints and photographs and provides a level of "search engine friendly" optimization not previously available on such a repository.  Some of it's innovations include:

* Consistent metadata - Consistent metadata provides the foundation for a site that is easy and interesting to explore, and that helps to reveal connections between items. The metadata also improves exposure to external search engines.

* Multilingualism: The metadata, navigation, and supporting content (e.g., curator videos) are translated into seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

* Description: Among the most impressive features of the WDL are descriptions of each item, answering the questions: “What is this item and why is it significant?” This provides vital context for users and is designed to spark the curiosity of students and the general public.

Their Description: 

UNESCO and 32 partner institutions launched the World Digital Library in 2009 as a site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world. The site includes manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, prints and photographs. It provides unrestricted public access, free of charge, to this material.  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.

Contact: 

World Digital Library
Library of Congress
John Adams Building, Suite 300
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20540-1000
http://www.wdl.org/

Image Permission: 
0
Image Notes: 

Public Domain image - Seth

General Notes: 

I'm un-publishing. The edit sheet made a good point that this is almost the exact same thing as Global Memory Net and I think the Global Memory Net is cooler.

Hub Categories: 
Culture