digital libraries: variety of perspectives and models tefko saracevic, ph.d. school of...

Digital Libraries:Variety of perspectives

and modelsTefko Saracevic, Ph.D.

School of Communication, Information and Library Studies

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey, [email protected]

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/people/

faculty/tefko.html

Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University

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On the scene Several different communities involved in digital libraries,

each with quite differentperspectives, concepts, meanings in dealing concentration, emphasis, approach

Many disciplines, institutions involved National & global interest Large research and developmental projects Large operational projects Large commercial undertakings


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Why? Evolution of information society

role of knowledge & knowledge recordsimportance to records in digital forms

Strategic place of information to society, economy, futurestrategic policies for support in many countriesdigital libraries part of that strategy

Technological imperativejust the right time for application to DL


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Basic problems addressed Creating means & ways for dealing with & using

human knowledge records in the new digitalized and networked world

What to do with the electronic “book”, journals, publications, images, sounds, assembly of data?

Problems are technical, organizational, managerial, social, legal, economic, cultural …

Digital revolution may be as far reaching as that created by Gutenberg & the printed book


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What is a DIGITAL LIBRARY? No single, all-encompassing answer Several perspectives

from different communities - different agendas Little communication among them Coherent, integrating concept, approach not yet

emerged - but do we need? Complex problems in any approach

Many experiments; many experts & “experts” Highly exciting & volatile area; big $$$$$


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Criteria

1. User community

2. Digital collection

3. Organization - physical, intellectual

4. Interface - access, physical, intellectual

5. Delivery

6. Persistence


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Research support: two models

1. Digital Libraries Initiatives approach:seek & fund research topics, mostly in technological

areasExamples:

DLI 1 & 2 in the US ERCIM DLI: DELOS working group

2. Collaboration seeking approachinvolving different communities: libraries, publishers,

institutions, users …Germany: Global Info; UK: electronic libraries


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Computer science, engineering Concentrating on R&D Technology centered

distributed & organized knowledge resources in electronic, digital formats

diverse types of information– texts, images, sounds, multimedia

new kind of distributed database services to manage unstructured multimedia resources

Important for infrastructure


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Examples of research areas

Interoperability between heterogeneous collections Data integration - text, video, sound; metadata Network protocols and standards Search engines & agents for searching, filtering,

navigating, summarizing, integration Visualization & other interactive technology

browsing large volumes of texts & imagery; display Scaling R&D to large collections, applications


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Widening scope of topics

In DLI 2 8 projects funded so far: Document selection and expert problem solvers Image filtering for medical information Automatic reference librarians for the web New techniques for humanities collections Software data lbrary DL classification system Undergraduate education:

– DL test bed for science education

– Virtual skeleton for study in anatomy


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Challenges

Interdisciplinarity absentDL appropriated by computer science and

engineering Users and human issues absent

human centered design pushed as rhetoric only Widening array of topics

how do they fit into a digital library concept?


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Library perspective Concentrates on institutions, service, practice

logical extension of libraries Content, collection centered

Creation of digital collections variety of materials repositories of digital materials

Access to collections Guided by service mission

various environments, user communities various degrees of integration or separation


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Revolves around Digital Library Federation (DLF) definition

“Digital libraries are organizations that provide the resources, including the specialized staff, to select, structure, offer intellectual access to, interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of, and ensure the persistence over time of collections of digital works so that they are readily and economically available for use by a defined community or set of communities.”


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Several models

Digitizing model (mostly heritage model): Large number in the U.S. - various institutions - e.g.: Library of

Congress: American Memory Project: http://memory.loc.gov libraries becoming publishers

Consortium modelNational Digital Library of the Library of Congress

redefines mission “provide the widest possible access to knowledge & information for educating a free society.”

Comprehensive service modelExample: California Digital Library (CDL)


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Illustration of use ...My computer in

ZagrebHiNet -

impulses work

Rutgers server

CDL

Through indexes to a journal

Springer, Germany

Found an abstract


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Challenges

Integration between print and digitalmixing new digital technology with print, local with

global; managing diverse resources - all difficult Competition for scarce resources sharpening Institutional & social adjustments not easy Resistance, threats:

guerilla warfare within and nuclear annihilation without


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Disciplinary perspective Concentrates on collections & new forms of publishing in their

area - discipline centered Association model:

scientific & technical societies provide DL in their area Example: ACM Digital Library Public access to a certain parts Subscription for full text - subscription library model

Disciplinary units model:providing collection of information in their field e.g.

Brown University Physics Internet Resources

these are more link than DL - handbook model


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Publishing perspective Commercial digital publishing & library model

Example: Elsevier Science Direct– own & other journals, mostly digitized print journals– indexes, abstracts, online services– various subscription, access & delivery modes

Replacement of scholarly journal model Example: e-Print archive

– submission of reports, archiving, searching & free access to full text in various science fields; issue of peer review not resolved

Newspaper model: Example Wall Street Journal Online

– coupling with newspaper morgue & many other resources


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Exchange of roles

Libraries and publishers had a well defined relation - now it is blurringpublishers have librarieslibraries started publishingpublishers provide server (“shelf”) spacelicensing rather than ownership becomes

predominant transaction mode Newspapers discovered a new model

based on their strength of editorial processes


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Policy perspective Legal issues

copyright protection database security intellectual freedom equity

Technical issues standards scaling equity implementation

Above & beyond DL, but DL bring out


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Futurists’ perspective

Concentrate on social future Third wave centered

Manifestation of the World Brain Universal access to organized world’s

knowledge Prophesies: Disappearance of libraries, books,

librarians Utopian to a large degree


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Economic issues Costs not insignificant - WHO PAYS?

Presently R&D support from agencies - but after? Dilemma in library budgets

licensing of digital publications vs. subscriptions Publishers’ economics for digital publications

approaches vary, not settled, even scaredeven: who is a publisher? - lines blurring

Economics of digital libraries still up in the airroom for research & experimentation


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Social issues Individual: privacy protection; rights; obligations

role in information exchanges, work, needs; life ... Organizations: integration; changing structure Traditional libraries: disappearing? changing? Impact: on research, business, education? Education: professional, continuing, general Computing & society: growing disparity between

information rich & poor


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General opportunities Building digital collections of national importance from

existing texts, documents, images historical, educational, strategic, legislative …

Creating new digital documents & linking them Cataloging Internet resources in own domain Selecting digital resources from wherever & creating &

maintaining linkages Developing/adapting search engines & other management

tools for digital collections


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General opportunities … continued Providing access to digital collections Integrating digital & other library collections

incl. integration of OPACs & library management tools Establishing services for digital libraries

online access & offline supporteducation & training of users, and librarians

Addressing social, legal, policy issues Cooperative national & international ventures Outsourcing services; going into business of DL


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Conclusions “War is too important a matter to

be left to the generals.” Georges Clemenceau

Digital libraries are too important to be left to any one discipline, any one agency

Why? Work on digital libraries is defining the future of handling of human knowledge records

Caught a lot of interest globally & politically They are also redefining the role of libraries in

society & the role of librarians & inf. specialists


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Conclusions … continued Digital libraries provide challenge & opportunity for

cooperative, interdisciplinary ventures Provide a GREAT opportunity for many institutions to

participate in many waysHave room for smaller institutions & projects

Digital libraries will not replace libraries But no matter what: libraries and information agencies

cannot escape digital libraries, must changeso might as well actively join the movement


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digital libraries: variety of perspectives and models tefko saracevic, ph.d. school of...

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