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The European Digital Library project aims to put at least two million digital books, photographs, maps, archival records and films from Europe's libraries and museums online by the end of 2008.

A demonstration site went live earlier this year, as the EC attempted to encourage bodies to donate digital copies of their collections.

The EC claims to have set aside 120 million euros in order to "improve online access to Europe's cultural heritage" between 2009 and 2010, but claims that digitising the five million books in Europe's libraries is likely to cost around 225 million euros, not including objects like manuscripts or paintings.

The EC is now calling on member states to show equal commitment to the project in order to speed up digitisation of works.

With backing the EU says the library could grow to include six million more resources than had initially been anticipated when the scheme was first proposed.