Press: A digital library in every living room

“Examine an old portrait of George Washington, read a pulp crime story in a “penny dreadful” or page through medieval manuscripts at Harvard from the comfort of home.”

“The Digital Public Library of America, launching April 18, will open collections from libraries and museums across the country to anyone with an Internet connection — for free.”

“The new “library” (found online at dp.la) is essentially a Google-like search portal tying together digitized records from around the country, including that old image of the first president and those sordid century-old serials that sold for a cent. For starters, there will be more than 2 million documents, photos and audio files to peruse, plus several online exhibits, including one from Minnesota about American Indian culture. More materials will be added over time.”

An excerpt from Kate Humphrey’s article for the Star Tribune, A digital library in every living room