development of advanced systems to facilitate user access to
library resources, and the interconnection of libraries with
other libraries and the developing 'information highway'.
Validation tests will be accompanied by measures to promote
standards, disseminate results, and raise the awareness of
library staff about the possibilities afforded by telematics
systems."

In December 1998, according to a document posted on the website
of the European Commission, 1,000 public libraries from 26
European countries had their own websites, that ranged from one
webpage - with a postal address and opening hours - to several
webpages - with full access to the library's OPAC (Online
Public Access Catalog) and a variety of services. The leading
countries were Finland (247 libraries), Sweden (132 libraries),
United Kingdom (112 libraries), Denmark (107 libraries),
Germany (102 libraries), Netherlands (72 libraries), Lithuania
(51 libraries), Spain (56 libraries), and Norway (45
libraries). Newcomers were the Czech Republic (29 libraries)
and Portugal (3 libraries). Russia had a common website for 26
public reference libraries.

= Digital libraries

# A definition

What exactly is a digital library? The Universal Library
Project, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, defined it in
1998 as "a digital library of digital documents, artifacts, and
records. The advantage of having library material available in
digital form is threefold: (1) the content occupies less space
and can be replicated and made secure electronically; (2) the
content can be made immediately available over the internet to
anyone, anywhere; and (3) search for content can be automated.
The promise of the digital library is the promise of great cost
reductions while providing great increases in archive
availability and accessibility. (...) There are literally
thousands of digital library initiatives of a great many
varieties going on in the world today. Digital libraries are
being formed of scholarly works, archives of historical figures
and events, corporate and governmental records, museum
collections and religious collections. Some take the form of
scanning and putting documents to the World Wide Web. Still
other digital libraries are formed of digitizing paintings,
films and music. Work even exists in 3D reconstructive
digitization that permits a digital deconstruction, storage,
transmission, and reconstruction of solid object."

Since the mid-1990s, l