BEIJING, Nov. 13 -- More than 7,200 digitized ancient Chinese books were launched online Tuesday by the National Library of China (NLA) and a dozen other institutions, bringing the total number of digitized ancient books available online to more than 72,000.

The digitization of ancient books is expected to facilitate free public access and academic research.

The online publication, co-construction and sharing of digital resources of ancient books enable members of the public and researchers to browse ancient books at home, as well as provide convenience for scholars at home and abroad to study ancient books, according to the NLA.