Humboldt digital library and interconnectedness

Abstract

The Humboldt digital library (HDL) represents an innovative system to access the works and legacy of Alexander von Humboldt in a digital form on the Internet (www.avhumboldt.net). It contributes to the key question about how to present interconnected data in an appropriate form using information technologies. The HDL has been created as a dynamic digital library with the capability of connecting multilingual and multimedia data from diverse online archives. Humboldt’s volumes have become available, but beyond that any relevant information related to the observations of Humboldt, even outside the works can become immediately accessible. This makes it possible to recognize natural changes and compare Humboldt’s descriptions with recent situations. The technology we have developed addresses the issues of sustainability and makes it possible to detect changes in the environment since the time of Humboldt’s observations.