VOICED: The World Digital Library opens its virtual doors

UNESCO has launched the World Digital Library, a collaborative project involving 26 institutions from 19 countries. Initiated by James Billington, the US Librarian of Congress, the library aims to provide multilingual access to rare documents online. It is designed for a broad audience, including young readers, with accessible commentary. The project plans to expand its collection and make digitization technology more available, especially in developing countries.

Who initiated the idea of the World Digital Library?

• UNESCO Director-General

• US Librarian of Congress, James Billington

• The United Nations

• A group of international scholars

What is a unique feature of the World Digital Library?

• It only contains documents from the United States.

• It provides scanned images of documents accessible online.

• It is exclusively for academic researchers.

• It requires a subscription to access.

How does the World Digital Library cater to young readers?

• By providing video tutorials

• By organizing live reading sessions

• Through commentary written with young readers in mind

• By offering interactive games

What is the current focus of the World Digital Library's creators?

• Limiting access to developed countries

• Expanding the library's collection

• Making the library accessible only to researchers

• Reducing the number of items online

What is one of the goals for the future of the World Digital Library?

• To focus solely on European documents

• To restrict access to certain documents

• To make digitization technology more available in developing countries

• To translate all documents into one language