Library at Alexandria Becomes Scientific Repository

The ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt is rumored to have been the largest library in the ancient world. Today's Bibliotheca Alexandrina is seeking to recapture some of its former glory. An online repository of thousands of scientists' lectures from around the world was launched by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in January.

The repository — known as the Supercourse — is an attempt to improve access to science education in developing countries by targeting a total of 100,000 Golden PowerPoint lectures from scientists worldwide within a year and one million in three years. The library hopes that the repository will become a knowledge network in four main scientific disciplines — medicine, engineering, environment and agriculture — through a community of more than 55,000 scientists in 175 countries who are sharing their collective library of more than 3,400 lectures. 

Science Development Network, December 8, 2008  http://www.sciencedev.net/fe/Article.aspx?Aid=884