Jim Weinheimer wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Others think that what we are experiencing now represents
> a fundamental change in the very nature of how people find
> and relate to information and knowledge.
Just yesterday, we received news that among those "others" are none less
than the German Government.
In Berlin, Merkel's cabinet approved a plan for the establishment of
a German Digital Library (Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, DDB). There
appears to be no English statement yet, so let me try to relate the
main points here from the official promulgation of yesterday:
(see http://tinyurl.com/cjmnxm for the German text)
"Much of our cultural heritage as well as countless scholarly
publications are accessible only for small audiences. This is to
be changed fundamentally [!]: Both cultural heritage and scientific
information in Germany and in Europe will have to be digitized and made
available to everybody over the Internet.
For the German part, a German Digital Library will be established.
More than 30.000 cultural and scientific institutions will be networked
with this DDB and their resources made searchable by appropriate tools.
The DDB will become a part of the European Digital Library "Europeana".
Europeana is a network of national digital libraries and was created
on behalf of the EU Commission in 2006. The access portal for Europeana
went live on 20 Nov. 2008 when J.M. Barroso, president of the EU
Commission, pressed the red button."
http://europeana.eu
Right now, the Europeana is said to comprise 4.6 million digital items.
The formal agreement between the German Government and the 16 state
administrations was published yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/ydat24y
It names 13 prominent institutions, among them the largest libraries,
that will be partners in the initial effort, others may join in.
Initial funding for DDB will come out of the large incentive sums for
economic revitalization decided earlier this year, and cover the first 5
years. There will be "up to 2.6 mio Euro" per year, beginning 2011. A
generous endowment indeed.
It was openly said that DDB is also intended as a "German answer to
Google Booksearch", to counter the hazard of them becoming a monopoly.
Contrary to GBS practice, DDB will ask rightsholders first before
scanning their works, said cabinet minister Neumann. A noble intention
indeed.
As far as Google News reaches, there seems to be no news about it
in the forein press, whereas all German media carry the report and
commentators seem to be unanimously pleased with the idea of a
competition against Google. A fine idea indeed.
No mention is made in the plans and announcements of library catalogs.
Will they be considered "appropriate tools"?
B. Eversberg
Received on Thu Dec 03 2009 - 02:39:49 EST