EU states urged to contribute to European digital library

Information obtained from http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=467241

BRUSSELS, 08/28 - The European Union (EU) urged member states on Friday to step up their efforts to get Europe`s cultural heritage on line via the European digital library.

The EU`s executive European Commission adopted a recommendation Friday on digitization and digital preservation which calls on member countries to set up large-scale digitization facilities.

The commission urged EU states to act in various areas, ranging from copyright questions to the systematic preservation of digital content in order to ensure long term access to the material.

"Our aim is to arrive at a real European digital library, a multilingual access point to Europe`s digital cultural resources," EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said Friday.

"It will allow, for example, Finnish citizens to easily find and use digital books and images from libraries, archives and museums in Spain, or a Dutchman to find historical film material from Hungary online," she said.

At present only a fraction of the cultural collections in EU member states is digitized.

According to the EU`s plan, ultimately the digital library will allow European citizens with access to the Internet to search in their mother tongue all types of cultural material from European countries.

In Friday`s recommendation the commission urges member states to tackle three main areas: the digitization of cultural material, its online accessibility and digital preservation.

EU states should also establish national strategies and plans for the long-term preservation of and access to digital material.

They may adapt laws to allow multiple copying and migration for preservation purposes.

The commission estimates that it will take 200 to 250 million euros spent over four years -- up to 2010 -- in member states to just meet the first targets of the European digital library.