The 2nd International Conference
on Universal Digital Library
(ICUDL 2006)

“Towards building the globally owned Universal Digital Library where human knowledge is equally preserved and accessed”  

ICUDL 2006 is the second in a series of International Conferences on Universal Digital Library. The conference aims to add to the foundation of the Universal Digital Library (UDL) that will be a portal to foster creativity and free access to all human knowledge. The Million Book Project (MBP) is considered the first milestone towards building this digital library with a free-to-read, searchable collection of one million books in various languages belonging to diversified cultures and civilizations available to people worldwide over the Internet. The annual workshop for the MBP will thus be held in conjunction with the conference.

The theme of ICUDL 2006 will be "Towards building the globally owned Universal Digital Library where human knowledge is equally preserved and accessed". The goal of this conference is to provide a forum for library and IT professionals to exchange comprehensive views on the recent development and progress in digital library technology, to promote international cooperation in related fields, to advocate universal access to information, and to enhance the global impact of Universal Digital Library Project (Million Book Project).

The UDL portal is planned to expand to include all types of knowledge and digital resources produced and acquired by MBP partners and other entities. In the near future, we anticipate that this portal will be a gateway to the international content of digital libraries initiatives including all available branches of information from the four corners of the globe in all languages. This universal inclusive portal will be the core of the UDL that will preserve human heritage for present and future generations. Moreover, this wealth of information – easily and freely accessible – will be utilized for the prosperity and welfare of humanity.

Recognizing the ICUDL2006 noble mission, eminent researchers, scientists and decision makers from all over the world will meet in Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Library of Alexandria, during the period 17-19 November 2006. As in the ancient times, it is the same site that has and will witness the peaceful unity of mankind under the eternal umbrella of science, to pursue the foundation of the UDL. Old and new generations will always be grateful to the visionary scientists who chose to make universal access to knowledge and information their life’s mission. The new Library of Alexandria will share with all its honorable guests from all over the world in the shaping of the present and future human intellectual life.

Participation is sought from all parts of the world and from the full range of disciplines and professions involved in digital library research and practice, including computer science, electrical engineering, information science, information systems, librarianship, archival science and practice, museum studies and practices, technology, education and humanities. All domains – academia, government, industry, and others – are encouraged to participate as presenters or attendees.

Submissions on all areas of digital library are welcome and may include research, system, evaluation, policy and position papers. Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Digital library infrastructure and architectures
  • Planning, development, and management of digital libraries
  • Digital library models
  • Content organization and knowledge management
  • Collaboration and localization
  • Information storage and retrieval for global access
  • Multimedia processing and retrieval
  • Multi-lingual information retrieval system and Unicode
  • Digital preservation
  • Standards in digital library design and development
  • Digital library services
  • Digital library network and information sharing
  • E-publishing
  • Economic issues of digital libraries and e-learning
  • Tools and techniques for digital libraries
  • Intellectual Property

Further details about the conference including registration and conference location are posted on the conference website www.bibalex.org/icudl06/.

Full and short papers will be included in the conference proceedings and will be presented at the conference. Papers must be in English with a limit of 10 pages (approximately 5000 words) for full papers and 2 pages for short papers. All papers must be original contributions (i.e. have not been previously published or currently under review for publication elsewhere).

All contributions are to be submitted in electronic form via the ICUDL 2006 conference web site, following IEEE format guidelines and using the template provided on the conference website
www.bibalex.org/icudl06/ICUDL2006PubInstructions.doc
Preferred submission formats are Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word.

Important Dates

15 September 2006 Submission of full and short papers
7 October 2006 Notification of acceptance
21 October 2006 Submission of camera-ready papers

ICUDL will be held in Alexandria, Egypt on November 17-19 2006 in the beautiful premises of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria, is dedicated to recapture the spirit of the original. It aspires to be:

  • The World’s window on Egypt;
  • Egypt’s window on the world;
  • A leading institution of the digital age; and above all
  • A center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding.

To fulfill that role, the new complex is much more than a library. It contains a library that can hold millions of books; a center for the Internet and its archive; six specialized libraries; three museums; a Planetarium; an ALEXploratorium for children’s exhibitions; two permanent exhibitions; six art galleries; a conference center for thousands of persons; and seven research institutes.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center (BACC) is a state-of-the-art meeting and exhibition facility and is an integral part of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina complex. It is located on the waterfront across from the Eastern Harbor and Silsilah Peninsula. The Conference Center and the main Library are connected underground below the Plaza of Civilization.

Offering comprehensive services and diverse facilities, the BACC satisfies the requirements of highly sophisticated conferences. It houses four conference halls, four meeting rooms, two exhibition halls, a VIP lounge and a VIP meeting room, three restaurants and a coffee shop.

More information about Bibliotheca Alexandrina and its activities, please visit the Library website at http://www.bibalex.org.

General Co-Chairs:

Honorary Chair:

Program Chair:

Program Co-chairs:

Local Arrangement Co-Chairs: