EU Media and Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding has pledged an undisclosed amount of EU funding to kick-start the establishment of a 250 million euro (300 million pound) European Digital Library that will include movies and television programs.
Reding said the library will include 6 million cultural works and will be available to anyone with an Internet connection over the next five years. The European Commission also will co-fund the creation of a Europe-wide network of digitization centers to boost the initiative.
The announcement came following a consultation that drew 225 replies from libraries, archives, museums, publishers, rights holders and universities. The response was overwhelmingly positive, although there were some concerns over copyright issues, Reding said.
Reding said the library will include 6 million cultural works and will be available to anyone with an Internet connection over the next five years. The European Commission also will co-fund the creation of a Europe-wide network of digitization centers to boost the initiative.
The announcement came following a consultation that drew 225 replies from libraries, archives, museums, publishers, rights holders and universities. The response was overwhelmingly positive, although there were some concerns over copyright issues, Reding said.