Online Books
Source: International Herald Tribune/The NY Times
“Collecting the world’s books online”
“The directors of the new Alexandria Library – which christened a steel and glass structure with 250,000 books in October – have joined forces with an American artist and software engineers in an ambitious effort to make virtually all of the world’s books available to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. Much as the ancient library nurtured such figures as Archimedes and Euclid, the new Web venture hopes to connect scholars and students around the world. Of course, many libraries already provide access to hundreds or even thousands of electronic books. But the ambitions of the Alexandria Library appear to surpass those of its rivals. Its directors hope to link the world’s other major digital archives and to make the books more accessible than ever with new software. To its supporters, the project, called the Alexandria Library Scholars Collective, could ultimately revolutionize learning in developing countries, where libraries are often nonexistent and access to materials is hard to come by. Cheick Diarra, a former engineer with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the director of the African Virtual University, said he plans to begin using the Alexandria software this year at the university’s 34 campuses in 17 African countries.”
See Also: Looking for Full-Text Books “On the Web”? Check the Online Books Page, Over 18,000 Titiles (Search, Browse)

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