DPLA Press Roundup: May 24, 2013
Public libraries without the bookshelves
“The first purpose-built ‘bookless’ public library is due to open in Texas later this year and in the US capital, the first virtual reading room replaces books with computers and smart technology. Some of the nation’s most famous institutions are also collaborating in a massive online project – the Digital Public Library of America – a single digital access point for information about the nation’s historical treasures.”
From the BBC video segment, Public libraries without the bookshelves
Review of the new Digital Public Library of America
“The aim of the DPLA is to provide a large-scale, national public digital library of America’s archives, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions into one portal. Leaders from 42 of America’s institutions have contributed to the project, from ARTstor to the Smithsonian Institutionand the University of Virginia Library. The idea of a national digital library harks to the early 1990s and the desire to provide a single portal to make cultural and scientific information available to all. It was conceived as a non-commercial alternative to Google’s proposed digital library or an American equivalent to the European Union’s Europeana digital library.”
From Carolyn Fox’s article on Opensource.com, Review of the new Digital Public Library of America
What the DPLA Means for Students
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to access every digital archive, museum, library, and piece of information from American academic institutions in one place? It’s not a reality yet, but it isn’t as far off as you might think. The launch of the Digital Public Library of America has made a huge leap toward this goal, providing access to millions of resources in one place and bringing together huge archives, like those at the Smithsonian, with smaller, specialized collections at local libraries and museums. This is a boon not only to those who want greater access to these collections but to students and academics who now have a streamlined, organized way to use these resources for research and learning.”
From the article on OnlineSchools.org, What the DPLA Means for Students
Photograph courtesy Robert Wallace on Flickr, used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.