ACCESS | Asia 's Newspaper on Electronic Information Product & Service

December 2001 No.39

China to invest 1 billion yuan for digital library construction

The People's Daily recently reported that a feasibility study has been underway for a national digital library project approved by the State Council, China's cabinet. "It is estimated that the investment will exceed 1 billion yuan [USD 120 million]", said Zhang Yanbo, Vice Curator of China National Library .

Zhang disclosed the news at a press conference at the International Conference of Digital Library-IT Opportunities and Challenges in New Millennium, held by the National Library on December 18.

The conference, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and China National Library, is said to be the first exhibition get-together of new products and new technologies. It will be held again from July 8 to 11, 2002 in Beijing.

As China's key information infrastructure construction project, the national digital library has been listed as a key project in China's 10th Five-year Plan. Zhang said that the digital library is estimated to occupy an area of 70,000 square meters. After establishment, the total area of the National Library will reach 240,000 square meters, putting in the top three libraries in the world.

Vice Culture Minister Zhao Weisui pointed out that the Chinese information content on the internet does not match the language's position as one of the commonly used languages in the United Nations. He said that China will set up an internet Chinese information base to change the situation and promote and disseminate Chinese culture so that Chinese civilisation is more widely known to people throughout the world.