A new website launched today will make thousands of children's books from 100 different cultures available for free to children around the world.

When it is completed in about five years, the International Children's Digital Library will hold about 10,000 books targeted at children aged between three and 13. It currently holds 200 titles from more than 27 cultures in more than 15 different languages.

The site's goal is to expand children's reading and learning skills while teaching them about other cultures.

A group of children played an important role in developing the website, which was designed by the University of Maryland and the Internet Archive, a San Francisco-based not for profit company.

When some of the children said they wanted to search for books based on how the stories make them feel, the designers responded, creating special indexes for funny or scary stories.

The site has colourful icons that allow even the youngest children to navigate without knowing what all the words mean. With the click of a mouse, children can see the thumbnail-sized pages of a book unwind in a spiral or unfold like the panels of a comic book.

Many of the titles are classics, such as Alice in Wonderland and Robinson Crusoe, that are no longer under copyright restriction.

Some publishers, including Random House, Scholastic and HarperCollins, have contributed a few newer works from their extensive collections.

Access to the library initially requires a high speed internet connection, such as a cable modem or ADSL line. Those connecting by phone modems will be able to access the site in summer 2003.