Europeana - Europe's digital library in now open to the public

Europeana, Europe?s virtual library was opened to the public yesterday.

The site, run by the European Library, gives users access to more than two million digitised books, audio and film material, photos, paintings, maps, manuscripts, newspapers and archival documents from national libraries and cultural institutions from the EU?s 27 Member States, giving users new ways of exploring Europe?s heritage. Visitors will be able to explore the site in their own language in virtual form, without having to visit multiple sites or countries. But this is just the beginning; according to their press material in 2010 Europeana will have interactive areas for special interest communities.