UNESCO, Nature Education, and Roche Partner to Launch World Library of Science (WLoS)

From Today’s Launch Announcement:

Launched on the occasion of World Science Day for Peace and Development 2014, the WLoS (World Library of Science) is a science resource library stocked with over 300 top-quality articles, 25 eBooks, and over 70 videos from the publishers of Nature, the most cited scientific journal in the world.
Users can join classes, build groups and connect with other learners.
Specifically, the WLoS seeks to make science learning accessible to students everywhere in the world by:
Helping equalizelearning opportunities. The WLoS is open to all at no cost. It provides students with access to high-quality educational material, regardless of geography or economic circumstances. UNESCO will dedicate special attention to training teachers and students in least developed countries in how to use the WLoS, accelerating science learning in disadvantaged regions.
Improving the quality of teaching and learning. The WLoS supports teachers and students worldwide by giving educators concrete ideas about how to present complex scientific concepts and students resources to fuel and complement their learning. The website provides a searchable database of content that is peer-reviewed.
Strengthening science education. Scientific understanding is the foundation of sustainable development and prepares learners for employment.
Promoting the use of open educational resources. The WLoS content is open. It can be tailored and shared for any educational or non-commercial use. The WLoS is founded on the idea that educational content and scientific knowledge should be free and accessible to all.
Connecting communities of students and teachers. The WLoS is more than just a traditional library: it is a dynamic resource that allows users to collaborate with others, personalize their learning experience, pose and answer questions, and collaborate with others while exploring scientific concepts. The WLoS fosters knowledge-sharing and peer-learning.

The WLoS is accessible on the Nature (Nature Publishing Group) domain at http://www.nature.com/wls
We think it’s worth pointing out for transparency and understanding the current state and future development of the WLoS) that Roche (aka Hoffman-LaRoche) is global healthcare company based in Switzerland. They’re listed on the site as “enabling sponsor.” Nature Publishing Group is the provider of content to the World Library of Science (WLoS).
No word on how often the resource will be updated.
Read the Complete Introductory Post From UNESCO
See Also: WLoS Promo Videos
See Also: Nature Education

Filed under: Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Publishing