World Wide Web Virtual Library
Encyclopedia
The World Wide Web Virtual Library was the first index of content on the World Wide Web
and still operates as a directory of e-text
s and information sources on the web. It was started by Tim Berners-Lee
, the creator of HTML
and the World Wide Web
itself, in 1991 at CERN
in Geneva
. Unlike commercial index sites, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "WWWVL", the "Virtual Library" or just "the VL".
The individual indices, or virtual libraries live on hundreds of different servers around the world. A set of index pages linking these individual libraries is maintained at http://vlib.org/, in Geneva
only a few kilometres from where the VL began life. A mirror of this index is kept at East Anglia (UK). A VL specific search engine has operated for some years and is now (VLsearch) located on its own server at vlsearch.org.
The central affairs of the Virtual Library are co-ordinated by an elected Council. A central index (the 'Catalog') is maintained and joint services provided by the Council on behalf of the association.
, and later expanded, organised and managed for several years by Arthur Secret, before it became a formally established association
with Gerard Manning as its Council's first chairman. The late Bertrand Ibrahim was a key contributor to the pre-association phase of the Virtual Library's development, and then served as its Secretary until his untimely death in 2001 at the age of 46.
A brief history, with links to archived pages and screenshots, is maintained on the Vlib site.
The Virtual Library has grown over the years, so that there are now around 300 sub-libraries within the main library. (For example, there is the WWW-VL: History Central Catalogue, which was launched on 21 September 1993 by Lynn H. Nelson at Kansas University. From April 2004, it was relocated at the European University Institute
, Florence
, Italy where the history of the History catalogue is also available.)
The Virtual Library was incorporated as an association sans but lucratif (not for profit association) in the Republic and Canton of Geneva
, Switzerland
. Major decisions, including a set of bylaws are decided by the membership at large.
The main Virtual Library website was redesigned in 2005 and many old or dead individual Virtual Libraries were removed from the index.
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
and still operates as a directory of e-text
E-text
An e-text is, generally, any text-based information that is available in a digitally encoded human-readable format and read by electronic means, but more specifically it refers to files in the ASCII character encoding.E-text has the broad meaning of something electronic that represents words, a...
s and information sources on the web. It was started by Tim Berners-Lee
Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, , also known as "TimBL", is a British computer scientist, MIT professor and the inventor of the World Wide Web...
, the creator of HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
and the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
itself, in 1991 at CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Unlike commercial index sites, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "WWWVL", the "Virtual Library" or just "the VL".
The individual indices, or virtual libraries live on hundreds of different servers around the world. A set of index pages linking these individual libraries is maintained at http://vlib.org/, in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
only a few kilometres from where the VL began life. A mirror of this index is kept at East Anglia (UK). A VL specific search engine has operated for some years and is now (VLsearch) located on its own server at vlsearch.org.
The central affairs of the Virtual Library are co-ordinated by an elected Council. A central index (the 'Catalog') is maintained and joint services provided by the Council on behalf of the association.
History
The Virtual Library was first conceived and run by Tim Berners-LeeTim Berners-Lee
Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, , also known as "TimBL", is a British computer scientist, MIT professor and the inventor of the World Wide Web...
, and later expanded, organised and managed for several years by Arthur Secret, before it became a formally established association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
with Gerard Manning as its Council's first chairman. The late Bertrand Ibrahim was a key contributor to the pre-association phase of the Virtual Library's development, and then served as its Secretary until his untimely death in 2001 at the age of 46.
A brief history, with links to archived pages and screenshots, is maintained on the Vlib site.
The Virtual Library has grown over the years, so that there are now around 300 sub-libraries within the main library. (For example, there is the WWW-VL: History Central Catalogue, which was launched on 21 September 1993 by Lynn H. Nelson at Kansas University. From April 2004, it was relocated at the European University Institute
European University Institute
The European University Institute ' in Florence is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy where the history of the History catalogue is also available.)
The Virtual Library was incorporated as an association sans but lucratif (not for profit association) in the Republic and Canton of Geneva
Canton of Geneva
The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France. As is the case in several other Swiss cantons The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland,...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Major decisions, including a set of bylaws are decided by the membership at large.
The main Virtual Library website was redesigned in 2005 and many old or dead individual Virtual Libraries were removed from the index.