More than 23 000 sound recordings from all over the world have become available to the public for free from a new initiative by the British Library. There is “World and traditional music”, “oral history”, “accents and dialects”, “environment and nature” amongst the many many categories available on the http://sounds.bl.uk website. This is said to be the most diverse library of sounds from around the world. From a presentation to the Gaurdian: “There are Geordies banging spoons, Tawang lamas blowing conch shell trumpets and Tongan tribesman playing nose flutes. And then there is the Assamese woodworm feasting on a window frame in the dead of night.”