World library to offer rare books, films, maps online

PARIS: The World Digital Library, a website offering free access to rare books, maps, manuscripts, films and photographs from across the globe, launches tomorrow at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Bringing together priceless material, from ancient Chinese or Persian calligraphy to early Latin American photography, it is the world's third major digital library, after Google Book Search and the EU's new project, Europeana.

Drawing on content from libraries and archives worldwide, it aims to reduce the rich-poor digital divide, expand "non-Western" content on the web, promote better understanding between cultures and provide a global teaching resource.