Virtual libraries are on the march, for better or for worse. Chaucer?s manuscripts on vellum, Greek and Roman classics on ancient papyrus sheets, and cloth and leather-bound books are decaying in traditional libraries, and the process is irreversible. With the rise of new information technologies, conservators have found a new way of preserving archive materials for future generations. ?Cultural Heritage Online? will look at the accessibility of digital libraries, discuss trends and opportunities, and promote cooperation in the field of digital preservation.

The uphill struggle to preserve paper-based resources is a battle of the past. Digital representations of museum objects, works of art, and texts will help to safeguard our cultural heritage, and make it available to a far wider audience. Organised by the Fondazione ?Rinascimento Digitale - Nuove Tecnologie per i Beni Culturali? (Digital Renaissance Foundation - New Technologies for Cultural Heritage), the International Conference ?Cultural Heritage Online? will analyse how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help to preserve our cultural heritage.

Experts will address policy issues such as intellectual property rights, standardisation and coordination mechanisms. In other sessions, the discussions will centre on the technical challenges of digital preservation and on digital library users. At the end of the conference, the Digital Preservation Workshop is an independent event, which aims to encourage and improve coordination of actions on digital memory preservation. EU-funded projects will be involved in this session. Other presentations will focus on the need for common strategies, tools and solutions to promote cooperation in this field. In order to achieve the best results, the speakers will look at users? expectations and outline solutions which meet their needs. The International Conference will take place in Florence from 14 - 16 March 2007.

Visit the conference website for more information.