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British Library wins Nominent Internet Award for Timelines: Sources from History

The British Library has been awarded the ‘opening the world of knowledge’ award for Timelines: Sources from History (www.bl.uk/timeline) by the Nominet Internet Awards.

The Nominet Internet Awards aim to recognise and celebrate individuals and organisations who are helping to make the Internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for everyone who uses it.

Timelines: Sources from History (www.bl.uk/timeline) is a ground-breaking, rich-media interactive that allows users to explore British Library collection items chronologically for the first time. Bringing together material from the Library’s vast collections and using cutting-edge Flash technology, users are able to discover historical connections in an exciting multimedia experience. The timeline allows students to get a sense both of change and continuity when studying historical events.

The judges praised the British Library’s interactive timeline for the way it brings global quality content to life for a worldwide audience and for its impressive use of multimedia and historical context setting.

Roger Walshe, the British Library’s Head of Learning, said: “The British Library’s virtual history timeline saw off some impressive competition from Digital Explorer and the Open University to win this award. Finding innovative ways of engaging with the past is increasingly crucial for students and teachers alike – this timeline demonstrates how we can mesh traditional historical sources with new technologies to support future teaching methods, allowing users to engagingly pursue their own research.”

Lesley Cowley, CEO at Nominet says: “This year’s entries demonstrate that organisations and individuals are more engaged than ever in making the Internet a safe and accessible place for everyone. The level and quality of projects was outstanding and show that the Internet industry in the UK is leading the world in addressing important issues such as digital inclusion and safety online.”

The British Library’s interactive timeline will be promoted in the UK and internationally as examples of best practice, including at the next international Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania on 14 September 2010.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library’s collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages.

www.bl.uk

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