The Organization of American States (OAS) has agreed to join the Library of Congress in developing the World Digital Library, which is scheduled for launch in 2009 in Paris. A 'Contributor Agreement' was recently signed at an OAS headquarters ceremony.
Under the agreement, the OAS' Columbus Memorial Library will collaborate on the global library project, whose main objectives include promoting international and intercultural understanding and awareness; providing resources to educators; expanding non-English and non-Western content on the Internet; and contributing to scholarly research.
Spearheaded by the Library of Congress in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other institutions from around the world, the World Digital Library will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials.
