Terremark to host Library of Congress Web site

Terremark will host the Library of Congress' new Web site, the company announced today in a statement.

The site, myLOC.gov, which will launch April 12, will be hosted by Terremark Federal Group Inc., a subsidiary of Terremark Worldwide.

An international information technology company, Terremark's newest facility is under construction in Culpeper on McDevitt Drive. The first phase of the multi-year project is expected to open in June. When completed, about 250 people will manage and supervise data for government and private clients at the facility.

"Technology and interaction with historical artifacts are crucial to engaging the imagination and critical-thinking skills of young people, which is why this partnership with Terremark is so important to our mission of making our unparalleled collections more broadly accessible and creating lifelong learners," librarian of Congress James H. Billington said.

The library said it expects more than 3 million new user accounts on myLOC.gov within the first year. Both library and Terremark representatives said the company's services will be vital to delivering virtual hands-on interaction with the Library of Congress Experience.

The Experience features exhibits that explore the early Americas and the back stories behind documents and words that created the American republic. The exhibit includes elements of Thomas Jefferson's original library that helped found the Library of Congress, Jefferson's original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence with handwritten edits and the Gutenberg Bible.

"We view the solutions we will provide the Library of Congress as a great service to the nation and an opportunity to help bring the library's vast collections to the fingertips of Americans everywhere," said Terremark Worldwide CEO Manuel D. Medina.

"The Library of Congress chose Terremark based on its reputation for delivering top-quality services coupled with highly secure facilities - all of which many critical federal agencies depend upon," said Jo Ann Jenkins, the library's chief operating officer.

The Library of Congress Experience opens to the public Saturday, April 12, with celebratory events from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., SE, Washington, D.C. For more information on the Library of Congress Experience, go to loc.gov/experience.

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, maintaining over 138 million items on more than 650 miles of shelves.