Ponzano Veneto, 28 April 2022. Benetton Research Libraries is a project that involves the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, Fabrica and Benetton Group's Historical Archive. The aim is to enhance and make available to everyone — online — the services and wealth of knowledge collected over decades of activity by the libraries linked to the Benetton world, creating a single point of access to over 100,000 volumes, periodicals, multimedia materials, maps and documents.

The three organisations, which have always collaborated synergistically in their cultural endeavors, have joined forces and adopted a common software platform, WorldShare Management System (WMS). This is an innovative IT management tool used by more than 760 libraries that — as well as strengthening collaboration between them — will enable the Benetton cultural network to integrate into WorldCat, the largest network of libraries in the world. With some 18,500 members, WorldCat every day provides web-based access to more than 521 million records and 3.3 billion books/documents/holdings in 483 different languages.

Thanks to Benetton Research Libraries, anyone in the world will be able to have immediate access to the knowledge held by the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche which hosts over 80,000 volumes, periodicals and multimedia materials and 12,500 maps on landscape, history and civilization of games and cultural heritage. It will also grant access to Fabrica's more than 10,000 books and magazines on photography, design, art and architecture all stored in its library designed by Tadao Ando, as well as to the Benetton Historical Archive's vast collection that includes publications on colour, graphic design, fashion, textiles and periodicals related to the world of fashion.

"Culture is life to us, a continuous source of inspiration, a value more than a tool. This awareness gives life to the commitment — which has always defined us — to spread, protect and enhance art, beauty and cultural activities", comments Luciano Benetton. "Benetton Research Libraries is a wonderful project for the democratisation of knowledge globally. It will allow us to make the knowledge we have collected over the last few decades available to everyone, without discrimination. Something that, in difficult times like these, is not secondary".