A National Digital Public Library
Robert Darnton, Harvard's chief librarian, convened what the Chronicle of Higher Education calls "a group of 42 top-level representatives from foundations, cultural institutions, and the library and scholarly worlds." The group issued a statement endorsing what it called a "Digital Public Library of America" that assembles the collections of archives, museums, and universities across the country.
"That goal differs from other schemes in that it would not merely coordinate digitizing projects that exist everywhere," Darnton tells Fast Company, "but it would also make the entire cultural heritage of the country accessible free of charge to all of our citizens."
