LIBRARY OF THE FUTURE

The library of the future will be digital and have the following features:

• contain all recorded knowledge online (billions of items)
• distributed, maintained globally
• accessible by:
  • any person
  • in any language
  • any time
  • anywhere on earth
  • via the Internet
• act as the information resource for the 21st Century

This notion of a digital library is radical; most current digital library efforts are aimed at building individual libraries to replace existing physical libraries that are burdened by financial and space constraints. However, the avowed digital library policy of Japan is that "each home will be able to access electronic libraries and electronic museums around the world via networks, allowing users to readily search and obtain worldwide information on books and art based on their own particular interests" (MITI 1994).