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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Technology Report. |
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What is a place where you could find |
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old pictures of camels carrying people |
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to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, |
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and also books about ancient Aztecs in Mexico? |
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It is all found inthe World Digital Library(WDL). |
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It is all found inthe World Digital Library(WDL). |
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Its collection is available on the Internet. |
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The library has 8,000 items from whole books |
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to ancient writings, to music and photographs. |
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There are 170 partners in 79 countries |
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sending material to the World Digital Library. |
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Partners include national or university libraries, |
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museums and other cultural organizations. |
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The librarian of the United States Congress |
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James Billington launched the WDL in 2009. |
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John Van Oudenaren is the director of the library. |
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He says Mr Billington wanted it to include items |
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that are both interesting and important. |
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"So we are looking for things that |
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from each country, each culture, each civilization. |
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Things that are unique and important |
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and help to tell the story of that place." |
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Every item is explained in the 6 official languages |
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of the United Nations: English, Arabic, |
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French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian plus Portuguese. |
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Since 2009, 25 million people |
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have visited the website from 250 places. |
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The greatest number is from Spanish-speaking countries. |
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Mr Van Oudenaren says users include schools, |
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researchers and anyone interested. |
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"People say this is what the Internet should be about. |
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And that kind warms my heart." |
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He was especially happy to hear from one teacher in New York City. |
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"And she said it was really wonderful to have a site |
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where every kid in the class, no matter what country they were from |
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or where their parents were from could search and find something |
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about that country that was interesting and important." |
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Mussa Maravl is a researcher for the WDL from Sudan. |
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He works with all the materials that are in Arabic. |
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He recently published rare photographs of Mecca from 1885. |
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"These camels were , you know, lying their heads on the ground, |
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which is very unusual for a camel. |
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It means these camels have travelled so far so long |
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and half of those camels were very thin, too, |
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meaning they have exhausted all the fat they have stored there." |
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Mussa Maravl believes the library provides tools for understanding, |
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especially among Arabs, Muslims and United States. |
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He says the WDL is posting many items about important developments |
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in Arabic and Islamic science. |
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"The kind of cultural heritage you are promoting is exactly, |
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I believe, what the world need to choose basically |
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all these cultures contribute together |
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to promote understanding throughout humanity in general." |
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Anyone may search the World Digital Library by subject, |
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time period, kind of document or area of the world. |
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