international children's digital library
:: to
serve and explore with young readers
Led by the University of Maryland and the Internet Archive, a partnership of government,
non-profit, industry and academic organizations launched the world's largest international digital
library for children.
The project is funded by the National Science Foundation with additional support from other
partners as part of a long-term research project to develop new technology to serve young readers.
The *International Children's Digital
Library* (ICDL - >see http://www.icdlbooks.org/)
will provide children ages 3 to 13 years with an unparalleled opportunity to experience different
cultures through literature. The new digital library will begin with 200 books in 15 languages
representing 27 cultures, with plans to grow over five years to 10,000 books representing 100
different cultures.
While the ICDL's collection is intended to provide access to the best children's books worldwide,
a primary long-term benefit of the project may be in discovering how children can best interact
with digital books. "Engaging stories help children grow intellectually and emotionally,
gain an understanding of who they are and learn about others and the world around them, all while
having a great deal of fun," said Allison Druin, project leader of the ICDL at the University
of Maryland. "We believe that the International Children's Digital Library can provide an
important new avenue for children to experience new books and explore other cultures."
In compiling the 10,000-book collection, the ICDL will also work to understand data acquisition
and rights management in the creation of a large-scale digital library. The ICDL will collaborate
with industry partners on technologies needed to incorporate copyrighted books while respecting
intellectual property laws and rights.From *NSF-Supported
International Children's Digital Library to Launch November 20*, november 18, 2002.
related context
> Internet Archive
> project gutenberg:
net public domain library awarded. october 31, 2002
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