Iraqi Online Tool Is Launched

U .S. government officials and representatives from the scientific community last Wednesday launched the Iraqi Virtual Science Library (IVSL) during a packed ceremony at the National Academies in Washington, D.C.

"Today, we look to change the course set forth in the past and put Iraq's scientists on the same path as the rest of the world," said Kenneth J. Krieg, the Defense Department's undersecretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics.

IVSL will provide Iraq's scientists, engineers, physicians, researchers, and students with free electronic access to more than 17,400 scientific journals and their archives, as well as educational resources.

More than 20 nonprofit and commercial scientific publishers and federal and academic organizations, including ACS, are partners in the project. Robert D. Bovenschulte, president of the ACS Publications Division, said ACS is providing access to 33 of the society's journals and magazines, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society and Chemical & Engineering News.

IVSL was created to counter the deterioration of scientific, technical, and education infrastructure that occurred under Saddam Hussein's rule. "Our scientists face extremely challenging conditions," said Iraq's ambassador to the U.S., Samir Shakir Mahmud al-Sumaydi. "Every day, simply going to university to teach is really an act of heroism, yet all of them persist and do it daily. The launching of this library sends a much-needed message of hope, support, and solidarity, and I thank you for that."

The project began as a partnership among the U.S. Departments of Defense and State and the fellowhips program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The National Academies negotiated with publishers to provide their journals to the library at a steeply reduced cost, now paid for by the U.S. government. The plan is to eventually transfer the cost to the Iraqis.