Z
11-06-2005, 06:48 AM
Microsoft, British Library to digitise rare books
Indo-Asian News Service
London, November 5, 2005
IT giant Microsoft and the British Library have come together to digitise 25 million pages of content from the library's collections in 2006.
The two will work together to digitise around 100,000 out-of-copyright books and deliver search results for this content through the new MSN Book Search service. This will help people find precisely what they're looking for on the Web.
MSN Search will launch an initial public beta offering next year.
According to a library press release, Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library, said: "This partnership helps us fulfil our vision of promoting ready access to our collection for everyone who wants to use it.
"This is great news for research and scholarship and will give unparalleled access to our vast collections to people all over the world: the items digitised will be available to anyone, anywhere and at any time."
The release quoted Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft as saying: "Our partnership with the British Library is not only about digitisation and preservation, but also about delivering a great experience for people accessing this amazing collection through British Library and MSN Web sites."
Microsoft is already working with the British Library to help build the digital infrastructure for the National Digital Library providing software tools, advice and technical support to the Library's experts.
The National Digital Library is a cornerstone of the British Library strategy launched in June this year (www.bl.uk/about/strategy.html).
The Digital Object Management system will enable the long-term storage, preservation and access to digital items such as e-journals, e-books and CD-ROMs acquired by the library through legal deposit.
The system will use open standards, allowing the library to adapt to future shifts in storage, preservation and access technologies.
Brindley said: "We are redefining the library in our development of the National Digital Library and are delighted to be working with Microsoft on a key part of this project.
"Our aim is to provide perpetual access to the intellectual output of the nation, which is increasingly digital. Microsoft's expertise, coupled with our own, will enable us to achieve this aim."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1537619,00110004.htm
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I think it is great that someone is speeding up the process of digitising libraries. the sooner the better.
Indo-Asian News Service
London, November 5, 2005
IT giant Microsoft and the British Library have come together to digitise 25 million pages of content from the library's collections in 2006.
The two will work together to digitise around 100,000 out-of-copyright books and deliver search results for this content through the new MSN Book Search service. This will help people find precisely what they're looking for on the Web.
MSN Search will launch an initial public beta offering next year.
According to a library press release, Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library, said: "This partnership helps us fulfil our vision of promoting ready access to our collection for everyone who wants to use it.
"This is great news for research and scholarship and will give unparalleled access to our vast collections to people all over the world: the items digitised will be available to anyone, anywhere and at any time."
The release quoted Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft as saying: "Our partnership with the British Library is not only about digitisation and preservation, but also about delivering a great experience for people accessing this amazing collection through British Library and MSN Web sites."
Microsoft is already working with the British Library to help build the digital infrastructure for the National Digital Library providing software tools, advice and technical support to the Library's experts.
The National Digital Library is a cornerstone of the British Library strategy launched in June this year (www.bl.uk/about/strategy.html).
The Digital Object Management system will enable the long-term storage, preservation and access to digital items such as e-journals, e-books and CD-ROMs acquired by the library through legal deposit.
The system will use open standards, allowing the library to adapt to future shifts in storage, preservation and access technologies.
Brindley said: "We are redefining the library in our development of the National Digital Library and are delighted to be working with Microsoft on a key part of this project.
"Our aim is to provide perpetual access to the intellectual output of the nation, which is increasingly digital. Microsoft's expertise, coupled with our own, will enable us to achieve this aim."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1537619,00110004.htm
-
I think it is great that someone is speeding up the process of digitising libraries. the sooner the better.