LOC Highlights Uses of Digital Library

Once again, the Library of Congress demonstrates how federal government should not only utilize information technology, but also market the initiatives to actually encourage support and adoption. Tuesday the largest library in the world, which currently touts nearly 142 million items in its collections, demonstrated to 100 guests -- many from academia -- the potential of its World Digital Library in education.

WDL, formally launched in April, is a joint initiative between the Library of Congress, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and 32 other partner institutions that makes manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, and prints and photographs available to the public online, unrestricted and free of charge. Visitors can also browse and search the content of the site, which will function in seven languages.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington hosted the event held in the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building with guests Rachel Goslins, executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and teachers Martina Grant of Forest Hills High School in New York, and Mark Howell of Westlake High School in Charles County, Md. Students from Howell's AP World History and U.S. History classes also took part.

According to the press announcement from LOC, a new WDL display on the south side of the Jefferson Building's first floor offers two Internet-access computers that visitors can use explore the WDL and its holdings. Onlookers can watch on a screen above one of the keyboards as the WDL is being "surfed." Items in the database include descriptions, and in some cases videos with expert curators providing context. According to the press announcement, this sort of guidance is intended to "spark curiosity and encourage both students and the general public to learn more about the cultural heritage of all countries."

Granted, this content is not terribly controversial, and the LOC has everything to gain and nothing to lose from public support and praise for the effort. But with so much lip-service from the administration paid to the use of Web 2.0 technologies to enable transparency, why don't we see more of these types of events taking place - where an agency or department walks through the potential of a given initiative soon after launch, as much to rally support as to provide technical training?

We all know about Recovery.gov, but most remain stumped about how to translate the data housed on the Web site into something meaningful.