6 November 2014
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
Your email letter of 9 November 2009, requesting electronic files of Bahá’í texts for use in sharing the writings online, was received by the Office of Public Information at the Bahá’í World Centre. At the time your letter was received, work had begun to introduce a significantly revised presentation of the Bahá’í Reference Library website, and consequently a reply was held in abeyance. The work has reached a point where the new site is available for viewing, and it is now timely to draw the site to your attention and to convey to you the following comments.
The Universal House of Justice has been pleased to note the steady strengthening of the Bahá’í presence on the World Wide Web in recent years, and it looks forward to the continued unfoldment of this process. Whether through personal websites, blogs, public sites, or social networks, an increasing number of believers have found ways to present the Faith and its teachings and to share with others their understanding of its perspectives on a wide variety of issues, thereby enhancing the Faith’s online presence.
The Bahá’í Reference Library is the authoritative online source for the Bahá’í writings, and the friends may use the texts it contains in ways they feel are appropriate, bearing in mind the terms of use set forth on the site. With respect to individuals making the writings available on the Internet, this can, in itself, be a worthy endeavor, but certain cautions must be observed. First, making available a comprehensive presentation of the writings is generally the responsibility of Bahá’í institutions on official websites; whilst individuals may present some of these writings on their own sites, it would be preferable if for a complete presentation users are directed to official Bahá’í websites, including the site of the Bahá’í Reference Library….
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022)