Legendary library rebuilt online.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: Up front: news, trends and analysis - Alexandria Library Scholars Collective

Egypt's legendary library in Alexandria once boasted that it had a copy of virtually every known manuscript in the ancient world. At its peak, the library in Egypt's largest port city probably held 700,000 scrolls, the equivalent of 100,000-125,000 printed books.

Directors of the new Alexandria Library, which opened a physical building with 250,000 books last October, have joined with an American artist and software engineers in an effort to make virtually all of the world's books available online. Many libraries already provide access to hundreds or even thousands of electronic books, but the Alexandria Library hopes to link the world's major digital archives and to make the books more accessible than ever with new software.

The project, the Alexandria Library Scholars Collective, will enable users of the software to visit the Web site, www.bibalex.gov.eg, and view an illustrated library, complete with calling cards and stacks, that will link them to online texts. They will store their digital selections from the library's collection on shelves in an on-screen personal locker. The software also includes virtual auditoriums, classrooms, and offices with lamps where scholars can exchange information, teach classes, or hold office hours. The rooms and lecture halls can be customized for universities that want to use the library's software for remote learning.

Library...