Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, has announced an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to digitise up to a million out-of-copyright works at the National Libraries of Florence and Rome. The libraries will select the works to be digitised from their collections, which include several rare historical books, including scientific works, literature from the period of the founding of Italy and the works of the nation's famous poets and writers.
According to Google, the deal marks the first time the company has joined forces with Italian libraries. Also, it is the first time that the company has had a government department as a close partner on such a project.
The costs will be covered fully by Google. These books will be available for inclusion in EU's Europeana project - of which the Florence Library is a contributing member - and other digital libraries.
Google has similar agreements with Madrid's Complutense University, Oxford University, the Bavarian state museum and others.
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