The World Digital Library
(November 19 webchat with technical project director Michelle Rago)

The World Digital Library, proposed in 2005 by U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world. These materials include manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs and architectural drawings. The library aims 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.

This webchat, on November 19 at 11 a.m. EST (16:00 GMT), will discuss the history of the World Digital Library, its current projects, collaborations with libraries and archives overseas, and its future.

Our guest, Michelle Rago, is the technical project director of the World Digital Library at the Library of Congress.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/information. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The transcript of this webchat will be available on America.gov’s webchat page ( http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html ), where information about upcoming webchats is also available.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)