Press: The Digital Public Library of America: Moving from Concept to Reality

“As the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) moves toward its launch date in April 2013, leading experts in libraries, technology, law, and education continue to explore the possibilities of a national digital public library through meetings, workshops, and even an Appfest. Operating under the principle that the DPLA is built upon efforts of the community, each event provides continued opportunities for librarians (among others) to shape the direction of the project.

“Taking place in Chicago on October 11 and 12, 2012, DPLA Midwest featured keynotes, breakout sessions and working groups that brought together librarians, technologists, and other stakeholders. The DPLA’s mission to “make the cultural and scientific heritage of humanity available, free of charge, to all” was evident throughout the meeting as the DPLA’s six workstreams continued to develop the platform inpreparation for next year’s launch. The meeting also introduced the board of directors voted into office in September 2012. Following the meeting, the DPLA announced the appointment of Amy Rudersdorf, Digital Information Management Program at the State Library of North Carolina, to the position of Assistant Director for Content.

“Participants came away from Chicago with a more refined understanding of the governance, financing, and technical infrastructure of the DPLA, as set forth in a five-year plan. As written by Dan Cohen, Director of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, the project will “bring together the power and reach of the digital realm with the local community” by buildinga network of service hubs that are capable of harvesting metadata about collections around the country. As John Palfrey, president of DPLA’s board of directors, mentions on the Digital Shift Blog for Library Journal, the DPLA is an “on ramp” for librarians and patrons to find and utilize resources that currently exist in separate collections.”

Read the full article on the Metropolitan New York Library Council, The Digital Public Library of America: Moving from Concept to Reality