Europe's digital library

Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has announced that the digital archive "Europeana", which is to make the European cultural heritage accessible on the Internet, will go online in November. The daily NRC Handelsblad takes a critical view of the project: "It sounds good, but it is all just for show. ... Art is being trodden underfoot in being treated like a practical application. ... Literature can be copied because the book itself is not the artwork. But the reproduction of a painting gives a mere impression of the original, no more. A sculpture is unique. Someone who wants to experience it must take the time to go see it. Reding suggests that the virtual reality of her 'Europeana' is the same as the tangible reality. She is wrong. The Internet is practical. It is suitable for making contacts. It is amusing as entertainment. It is perverse when abused. It is educational when used creatively. But virtual reality can never replace the authenticity of a painting, a sculpture, a building or a performance."

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