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Digital Public Library of America
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Digital Public Library of America

From 2010-2013, the Berkman Center convened a large and diverse group of stakeholders to define the scope, architecture, costs and administration for a proposed Digital Public Library of America. This initiative was launched in December 2010 with generous support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and concluded in April 2013 with the launch of the DPLA.

Planning activities were guided by a Steering Committee of library and foundation leaders, which announced a full slate of activities in early 2011. The Committee brought together representatives from the educational community, public and research libraries, cultural organizations, state and local government, publishers, authors, and private industry in a series of meetings and workshops to examine strategies for improving public access to comprehensive online resources.

This project was supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Arcadia Fund. 


Our Work 24

News
Aug 17, 2018

Notes from my summer library tour

Digital Public Library of America Director John Bracken shares reflections on how far the DPLA has gone this year

Feb 2, 2018 @ 3:00 PM

Past, Present, and Future of the Digital Public Library of America

featuring John Bracken, newly appointed executive director of the DPLA, and colleagues

Please join DPLA's new executive director John Bracken and colleagues to reflect on the DPLA’s past, present and future and explore the way in which libraries can contribute to a…

News
Apr 18, 2013

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Launches

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) launched a beta of its discovery portal and open platform.

Event
Apr 18, 2013 @ 4:19 PM

[postponed] DPLA Launch

in Boston, MA

On April 18-19, 2013, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) will bring together librarians, technologists, creators, publishers, innovators, students, government leaders,…

News
Mar 5, 2013

Dan Cohen Named Founding Executive Director of the Digital Public Library of America

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) announced today the appointment of Dan Cohen as the DPLA’s founding Executive Director.

Event
Nov 8, 2012 @ 9:00 AM

DPLA Appfest Hackathon

in Chattanooga, TN

DPLA Appfest is an informal, open call for both ideas and functional examples of creative and engaging ways to use the content and metadata in the DPLA back-end platform. The…

Event
Oct 11, 2012 @ 9:00 AM

DPLA Midwest Conference

in Chicago, IL

DPLA Midwest—taking place on October 11-12, 2012 in Chicago—is the third major public event bringing together librarians, technologists, creators, students, government leaders,…

News
Sep 11, 2012

Digital Public Library of America Announces Inaugural Board of Directors

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Steering Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of five members to the inaugural DPLA Board of Directors.

News
Aug 2, 2012

Digital Public Library of America Announces New Director for Content

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Secretariat is pleased to announce the appointment of Emily B. Gore as DPLA Director for Content, beginning September 1, 2012.

Event
Apr 27, 2012 @ 9:00 AM

DPLA West Conference + Webcast

DPLA West—taking place on April 27, 2012 in San Francisco—is the second major public event bringing together librarians, technologists, creators, students, government leaders, and…

News
Feb 8, 2012

DPLA West - Registration is Open

DPLA West—taking place on April 27, 2012 in San Francisco—is the second major public event bringing together librarians, technologists, creators, students, government leaders, and…

News
Jan 4, 2012

Announcing the DPLA Interim Technical Development Team

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) recently held a small technical working meeting in Cambridge that brought together a group of talented colleagues from libraries and…

Nov 14, 2011

John Palfrey's Next Chapter: Onward to the Phillips Academy!

The directors of the Berkman Center wish to extend our warmest congratulations to John Palfrey, our colleague and friend, upon his appointment as the Head of School of the…

News
Oct 21, 2011

Digital Public Library of America and Europeana Announce Collaboration

Two major digital library networks have reached an agreement to collaborate in ways that will make a large part of the world’s cultural heritage available to a large part of the…

News
Oct 21, 2011

Sloan Foundation and Arcadia Fund Announce Funding for the Digital Public Library of America

The Sloan Foundation and Arcadia Fund today announced a major contribution for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) in the form of combined $5 million in funding. The DPLA…

Oct 21, 2011 @ 9:00 AM

Digital Public Library of America Plenary Meeting

The plenary meeting will bring together a wide range of stakeholders in a broad, open forum to present the history of and vision for the DPLA effort, to showcase the best ideas…

News
Oct 19, 2011

Radio Berkman 185: The Next Generation Library

What would a digital version of your public library look like? There’s more to it than e-books and digital reading devices. Librarians, scholars, innovators, and techno-wizards…

News
Oct 5, 2011

Public Conference to Showcase Innovative Ideas for the Digital Public Library of America

Digital Public Library of America planning initiative to hold public plenary meeting in Washington, DC on October 21, 2011

The conference will bring together government leaders, librarians, technologists, makers, students, and others interested in building a national digital library at the National…

News
Sep 29, 2011

Digital Public Library of America “Beta Sprint” Review Panel Announces Results

Nine promising projects invited to present at the DPLA plenary meeting in Washington, DC

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Steering Committee has invited the creators of the nine submissions to the DPLA Beta Sprint, an open call for code and concepts…

News
Aug 16, 2011

Digital Public Library of America Steering Committee Announces the Beta Sprint Review Panel

Panel to be composed of eight leaders in the digital library effort

After a careful selection process, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Steering Committee is thrilled to announce the eight members of the Beta Sprint Review Panel.

May 20, 2011

Digital Public Library of America Steering Committee Announces ‘Beta Sprint’

Submissions of demos, code, and design ideas to help advance Digital Public Library of America planning initiative

The Digital Public Library of America Steering Committee is delighted to announce a Beta Sprint that aims to surface innovations that could play a part in the building of a…

Event
May 16, 2011 @ 9:00 AM

Global Interoperability and Linked Data Workshop

On May 16-17, 2011, the Berkman Center together with Open Knowledge Commons and the Institute for Information Law at the University of Amsterdam convened a group of technical and…

News
Mar 4, 2011

Scope and content of a possible Digital Public Library of America

Earlier this week the Digital Public Library of America planning initiative gathered a lively group for a workshop organized around "content and scope."

News
Dec 13, 2010

Berkman Center Announces Digital Public Library Planning Initiative

The Berkman Center for Internet and Society today announced that it will host a research and planning initiative for a “Digital Public Library of America.” With funding from the…