After two and a half years of development, the Digital Public Library of America finally flipped the switch on and opened its website. Collecting items from institutions cross the country, there already more than two million items in its searchable database. And that’s just the beginning.
In addition to regular searches of the kinds you’re probably used to, the DP.LA you can view results laid out as results and timelines. The DPLA also has an API such that developers can build their own tools for browsing the huge collection.
The DPLA is still very much a beta, and as it adds more partner institutions and builds out its technology the potential for the utopian project is huge. But beyond the impressive use of technology, we should note that this work is important. Information portals like the DP.LA will be an essential public service as people increasingly consume images and text digitally and online. Godspeed. [DP.LA via PetaPixel]