On 21 April 2009 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the world witnessed the launch of the World Digital Library. The project was initiated by the Library of Congress with the technical assistance of the BA as per a signed agreement between both parties back in 2007. The terms of cooperation are as follows:

◦ The BA, along with other libraries and cultural institutions around the world, will contribute content to the World Digital Library. The BA has contributed a digitized version of Description de L'Egypte (http://descegy.bibalex.org) to the World Digital Library.

◦ The BA will design and develop the World Digital Library and mirror sites.

◦ The BA will develop the search function and enable Arabic text display.

This massive project aims to bridge world cultures. The World Digital Library provides unrestricted, free, public access to manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, and photographs in seven languages (Arabic, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Russian).