Digital libraries: EuropeanaLocal – Google’s cultural alternative

The department of the South-West of France Gironde will become the first department of France within the launch of the project “EuropeanaLocal” – European Digital Library which represents Google’s alternative. This project has brought together 34 cultural institutions from 27 European countries which aim at increasing the collections of the European Digital Library Europeana. This implies provision of access to local and regional digital content, dispersed all over libraries, museums, and archives across Europe.

Thirty-two organizations-partners have identified, digitized and made available online over 20 million images, articles, content on culture, thus having made contribution to Europeana. Gironde is a pioneer among all departments of France. Mission of the project is to attach importance to collections of departmental archives, and also promote such a practice among institutions and associations - holders of cultural resources within the department.

The project, implemented under the guidance of departmental archives, was launched in June 2008 and will be completed in May 2011, when the wide public will gain access to digitized content.