![Ancient Manuscripts](images/digital_5.jpg)
Strategic Planning. Established in fiscal 2001 and funded with an appropriation of $99.8 million from the U.S. Congress, the Library's Office of Strategic Initiatives continued planning for the development and implementation of a congressionally approved National Digital Library Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The goal of the NDIIPP is to encourage shared responsibility for the collection, selection and organization of historically significant cultural materials regardless of evolving formats; the long-term storage, preservation and authentication of those collections; and rights-protected access for the public to the digital heritage of the American people.
During the year the Library received congressional approval of its plan titled "Preserving Our Digital Heritage: Plan for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program." The plan outlines the steps the Library will take as it leads the national effort to develop a digital preservation infrastructure consisting of a network of committed partners and the technical architecture to support long-term digital collection, storage and preservation. Concurrent with the plan's approval was the release of $35 million to begin the program's next phase—a call for project applications that will develop and test models for the collection of at-risk and historically significant materials for which no analog equivalent exists. Applications will be selected early in 2004.
![Lewis and Clark](images/digital_2.jpg)
Internet Resources. The Library continued to expand its electronic services to Congress and the nation through its award-winning Web site. During the year, more than 2.6 billion transactions were recorded on all of the Library's computer systems. The following are selected resources available on the Library's Web site.
Online Catalog. The Library continued to provide global access to its online public catalog (OPAC). The site recorded more than 360 million transactions during the year—an average of more than 30 million transactions a month, up from 24 million a month the previous year.
American Memory. At year's end more than 8.5 million American historical items were available on the American Memory Web site. In 2003 seven new multimedia historical collections were added to the American Memory Web site, bringing the total to 123. Seven existing collections were expanded with more than 344,000 digital items. Use of the American Memory online collections increased from 38.8 million transactions a month in 2002 to 47 million a month in 2003.
![THOMAS](images/digital_3.jpg)
THOMAS. The public legislative information system known as THOMAS continued to be a popular resource, with approximately 10 million transactions logged on average each month.
America's Library. Work continued to expand the content and features available on America's Library, an interactive Web site for children and families that draws upon the Library's vast online resources. The site has won numerous awards and is one of the most popular online offerings of the Library. America's Library logged more than 184 million transactions during the year, an average of more than 15 million transactions a month as compared with 13 million a month on average in 2002.
![Global Gateway](images/digital_4.jpg)
Global Gateway. Global Gateway, a project to foster international collaboration for joint digitization efforts and provide access to the Library's unparalleled global resources, was expanded during the year. With the addition of items from the collections of the Library of Congress and partner institutions in Russia, the Meeting of Frontiers Web site grew to more than 330,000 digital images. The site known as Parallel Histories: Spain, United States & the American Frontier grew during the year with a major addition of manuscripts digitized by the Mapfre Tavera Foundation for the National Library of Spain. Working with the National Library of Brazil, the Library completed the first phase of the cooperative Web site called The United States and Brazil: Expanding Frontiers, Contrasting Culture, which documents the history of Brazil and its relationship with the United States (primarily during the 19th century). The Library also continued to collaborate with the National Library of the Netherlands on a Web site titled The Atlantic World: America and the Netherlands, 1609 to the Present. The site focuses on exploration by the Dutch in the Americas and the Dutch influence on American culture.
![Wise Guide](images/digital_1.jpg)
Online Exhibitions. Five new Library exhibitions were added to the Library's Web site in 2003, bringing the total to 47; three continuing exhibitions were updated. This feature allows users who are unable to visit the Library in person to view many of its past and current exhibitions online.
Wise Guide. Since its inception in October 2002, this lively introduction to the Library's main Web site was refreshed monthly, much like a magazine, with links to the best of the Library's online resources.