Google to digitize Russian libraries

Representatives of the Russian National Library and the Library of Congress of the USA have recently met in St. Petersburg to sign an agreement on participation in the World Digital Library. The goals of the World Digital Library involve gathering and digitizing books, manuscripts, photographs and sound recordings relating to the cultures of various nations and ethnic groups. The first phase of the library project, estimated at $3,000,000, involves planning and development of a prototype website. This money will be provided by the owner of the Google search engine, and the first phase will span the entire 2007 year. The joint project of Google and the Library of Congress has found both proponents and opponents. For example, the nonprofit organization Internet Archive has launched its own project to digitize all of the world's books. Such an important mission cannot be entrusted to corporations, the organization believes.