Hon Judith Tizard
Minister Responsible for the National Library of New Zealand

Support for digital content expansion

The National Library will receive Budget 2007 funding of $8 million of operating funding and $200,000 of capital funding over four years for its work on the New Zealand Digital Content Strategy, said National Library Minister Judith Tizard.

“This Labour-led government is taking a strategic approach to getting New Zealand's government, business and community information online. We can use digital content to help progress our economic transformation into a more innovative and creative knowledge-based economy," she said.

“The New Zealand Digital Content Strategy, through a range of projects, captures and creates a bank of New Zealand knowledge and provides New Zealanders with easy access to the information which is important to our lives, our businesses and our national identity," Judith Tizard said.

The availability of unique New Zealand content is expected to help drive demand for broadband, improve the return on investment in capability, and create opportunities for commercial use.

The money is to be distributed across three initiatives:

• The Digital New Zealand initiative supports communities, business, and government in the creation, sharing and preserving of digital content.

• The Aotearoa People’s Network will ultimately connect all New Zealand libraries to the Internet so that all New Zealanders can benefit from the opportunities offered in an increasingly digital world.

• The World Internet Project is part of an international survey, which aims to uncover national attitudes and behaviour in relation to information and communication technology.

"Getting New Zealand online is important to ensure that our unique heritage and national identity is strong, visible and available – we won't be swamped in the global environment."

The Strategy will be launched at the end of May.

ENDS

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