New mode of universal access and Global Memory Net*

Abstract: In this digital era, we have witness the exciting convergence of content, technology, and global collaboration in the development of digital libraries. The mode of universal access for information seeking and knowledge acquisition differs greatly from the traditional ways. From the information resources point of views, the old model of “owning ” a collection has given way to “sharing, ” and the new emphases have shifted from possessing large “physical libraries ” to “virtual libraries ” digitally distributed all over the world. “Universal access ” has taken on a very different meaning when one has the ability to share invaluable resources through the use of cutting edge technologies. The author has experienced much of these transformations through her own R&D activities—from the creation of interactive videodisc and multimedia CD on the First Emperor of China’s terracotta warriors and horses in the 1980s and 1990s to leading a current international digital library project, Global Memory Net (GMNet), supported by the US National Science Foundation. In presenting her vision for linking world digital resources together for universal access, she will share with the audience the latest development of Global Memory Net