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Zeng Only American Appointed to World Digital Library Working Group

Marcia Lei Zeng, professor, School of Library and Information Science, has been appointed to the International Federation of Library Institutions and Association’s (IFLA) World Digital Library Working Group on Digital Library Guidelines. Zeng is the only American information professional serving on the international working group.

Consisting of 10 members from 10 countries, the World Digital Library Working Group is developing digital library guidelines and best practices for use by libraries and other cultural institutions around the world. The group was established at the conclusion of the UNESCO experts' meeting on the World Digital Library on Dec. 1, 2006. The group’s guidelines are expected to be of value to all libraries that are creating or that intend to create digital libraries.

The objectives of the World Digital Library are to promote international and intercultural understanding and awareness, provide resources to educators, expand non-English and non-Western content on the Internet and contribute to scholarly research.

The World Digital Library will make available on the Internet (free of charge and in multilingual format) significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including:

• manuscripts;
• maps;
• rare books;
• musical scores;
• recordings;
• films;
• prints;
• photographs;
• architectural drawings; and
• other significant cultural materials.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington proposed the establishment of a World Digital Library in a speech to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO in June 2005.

Participants in the planning process include national libraries and other libraries and cultural institutions from around the world that have expressed interest in joining the project, as well as UNESCO and International Federation of Library Institutions and Association. The planning process is being underwritten by a gift from Google Inc.