digitalpubliclibraryofamerica
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Digital Public Library of America's online doors open for business today
Remember when the internet was hailed as the "information superhighway" and then we all realized it was just some pot hole-filled, five-lane freeway overrun with humanity's virtual flotsam and jetsam? Well, now there's a virtual institution to gather the best cultural bits that float to the top, make 'em freely accessible and archive it all for the perpetuity of the digital age. Beginning today, the Digital Public Library of America, a two-year-old non-profit organization, is going live to the public in a beta launch. Featuring historical works culled from six state libraries and various cultural outposts (including the likes of the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian, the National Archives and Records Administration, as well as Harvard University), the site will primarily offer users the ability to search its vast archives (about 2.4 million resources at present) and browse virtual exhibitions, but will also host any dedicated third-party apps built using its open data set. So, there you have it, folks -- a highbrow antidote to the rampant disinformation made possible by Google search.
