Israel’s National Library Joins Google’s Largest Online Exhibition Of Inventions, Discoveries

Google teamed up with the National Library of Israel as the first Israeli organization to join its “Once Upon A Try” project, an online exhibition of invention and discovery spanning thousands of years and nearly two dozen countries.

The project, led by Google Arts & Culture, is a collaboration with NASA, CERN, and over 100 museums and organizations across the world. The National Library was the first Israeli organization to participate in the venture.

“Once Upon A Try” is the largest online exhibition about inventions and discoveries ever curated. Through it, “everybody can now explore more than 400 interactive exhibitions that pay tribute to humanity’s greatest leaps in science and technology progress, and the visionaries that shaped our world, as well as tales of epic fails and happy accidents,” the National Library said in a blog post.

The National Library’s page on Google Arts & Culture features three digital, interactive exhibits spanning 91 items. In it, visitors can discover “Isaac Newton’s Theological Papers“, from the National Library’s collection of nearly 8,000 of Newton’s papers; “Maps of the Holy Land and Jerusalem,” from the library’s Eran Laor Cartographic Collection; and “Dye hard: the race to revolutionize the color red,” offering an exploration of how the dye industry evolved throughout history and shaped it.

National Library of Israel Director Oren Weinberg said in the blog post, “using innovative methods to open universal digital access to historic treasures is an integral element of the National Library of Israel renewal.”

“The National Library is proud to share our treasures with the world as we take part in this significant initiative, which tells the stories behind some of the major developments that have impacted human history and culture,” he added.

Amit Sood, director of Google Arts & Culture said: “We invite everyone to participate in the first phase of an online collection that celebrates innovation and science. Through inspiring, and at times surprising, stories from over 100 partners, you can explore the inventions and discoveries that have shaped our world.”