Our govdocs librarian reports that this release has generated a ton of buzz in the documents community, and forwarded the message below from the Wold Bank pubs office. Note that: 

> the Bank authorizes and encourages free use of it's data both for non-commercial and commercial use. Therefore you are absolutely free to incorporate our data in library catalogs and any other data application or mash-up. We only request to provide attribution to the World Bank.

- Tom


> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> 
> Dear all, 
> 
> As you may be aware, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors recently approved a new Access to Information policy, which will become effective July 1, 2010. In keeping with this new policy, I am pleased to inform you that the World Bank Group now provides free, open, and easy access to its comprehensive set of data on living standards around the globe—some 2,000 indicators, including hundreds that go back 50 years— through its new data portal at http://data.worldbank.org
> 
> This new site currently contains the full World Development Indicators (WDI), Global Development Finance (GDF), and Africa Development Indicators (ADI) as well as several other World Bank databases such as Global Economic Monitor (GEM), Education Statistics, etc... For a full list of data sets available please go tohttp://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog Most of the data is available in Arabic, French, and Spanish in addition to English.
> 
> To read the terms of use for the Bank data please go to: www.worldbank.org/terms-datasets. The Bank authorizes and encourages free use of it's data both for non-commercial and commercial use. Therefore you are absolutely free to incorporate our data in library catalogs and any other data application or mash-up. We only request to provide attribution to the World Bank. We have created a restricted category for indicators for which we do not hold copyright. For now no indicators fall in this category but we encourage you to regularly check: www.worldbank.org/terms-datasets-restricted
> 
> We invite you to visit the new site. It is rich with new functionality both for the lay user that simply wishes to access basic data by country, topic or region, as well as for the advance user that wishes to download the datasets in excel, csd, xml as well as other formats. Advance users can also access and retrieve data via the DataBank, a platform similar to the previous WDI, GDF and ADI platform. To access the DataBank simply go to the catalog page and click on the icon "Databank" next to each dataset. Among other features the site also includes a link to the World Bank Data API and encourages developers to create new applications with the data. It also has a link to DataFinder, the new World Bank iphone application. 
> 
> Libraries that currently hold a subscription to the WDI, GDF, ADI or GEM are entitled to receive a prorated refund for their subscription fees. We sent on April 20 personalized e-mails to all existing subscribers with detailed information. If you are a subscriber and did not hear from us please let me know ASAP. The previous WDI, GDF, and ADI platform will remain functional until the end of the year, and probably well into 2011. Existing customers have the option of maintaining access to the previous platform, switching to the new free one and receive a refund or witching to the new one applying the funds to a subscription to the World Bank e-Library (www.worldbank.org/newelibrary) that will remain a subscription product. 
> 
> I will be attend the IDTF round table meeting at ALA annual conference in DC in June and I will be happy to answer any questions. In the meantime feel free to contact me or my colleague Devika Levy ([log in to unmask]). I can be reached at the e-mail and phone number below.
> 
> We will appreciate your help in spreading the news. If you think I should contact any other listserv, discussion forums or anyone else in particular please let me know. We are very excited about this new development and we want to spread the good news! 
> 
> Kind regards
> Jose
> 
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Jose de Buerba
> Marketing Manager
> World Bank Publications
> 1818 H Street NW, MSN U11-1104
> Washington, DC, 20433 - USA
> ' Work: +1.202.473.0393 * [log in to unmask]  þ http://www.worldbank.org/publications
> www.facebook.com/worldbank | www.twitter.com/WBPubs
> 
> WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS | The Reference of Choice on Development
> ________________________________________________________________________
> 





On Apr 22, 2010, at 9:16 AM, Roy Tennant wrote:

> Seen via my colleague Stu Weibel:*
> 
> April 20, 2010*—The World Bank Group said today it will offer free access to
> more than 2,000 financial, business, health, economic and human development
> statistics that had mostly been available only to paying subscribers.
> 
> The decision─part of a larger effort to increase access to information at
> the World Bank─means that researchers, journalists, nongovernmental
> organizations (NGOs), entrepreneurs and school children alike will be able
> to tap into the World Bank's databases via a new website, data.worldbank.org.
> <*http://data.worldbank.org*>
> 
> News Release: *
> http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22547256~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html<http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22547256%7EpagePK:64257043%7EpiPK:437376%7EtheSitePK:4607,00.html>
> *