Shriram Pandey

Asst. Professor & In-Charge

MLS University, Udaipur

(CPDL-1/Block-1/Unit-1)

Lesson Plan How do you define digital library?

What are some of the early visualizations of digital libraries

Paradigm Shift: Library to Social Semantic Digital Library

What are the key benefits and limitations of digital library

Understanding Digital Library(1) May be understand by two perspective

Digital library as “Collection” of resources

Digital library as “Institutions”

Digital library as “Collection” of resources

"A digital library is an organized and focused collection of digital

objects, including text, images, video and audio, along with

methods for access and retrieval, and for selection, creation,

organization, maintenance and sharing of the collection."

Focus on ‘digital collection’ ..DL comprise several qualities of traditional libraries such as focused collection , selection, organization , maintenance, sharing and service.

Understanding Digital Library(2) Digital library as “Institutions”

"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"

Stress here on the digital library as a dynamic, growing organism as well as delivery of services in cost effective way.

Properties of a Digital Library May be understand by two views-Narrow and Broader

Narrow View Broader View

Based on traditional library Based on internet and www

Objects are information resources Objects can be anything

Objects are selected on the basis of quality No quality control

Objects are fixed(do not change) Objects are fluid(can change at any time)

Objects are permanent(do not disappear) Objects are transient(can disappear at anytime)

Access of the objects is limited to specificclasses of users

Access to everything by everyone

Human specialists (such as librarian) canbe found

There are no librarians

Use of DL is free for specific user groups Use of the DL may requires payment

Evolution of Digital Libraries Historical

‘Memex’ by Vanneavar Bush(1945) in his article ‘As we may think’-a device offering the scientist to gather, find and retrieve information.

‘Xanadu’ by Ted Nelson(1963)-Ted Nelson was the first to coin the term ‘Hypertext’ while working on this project.

J. C. R. Licklider(1965)-In his book ‘Libraries of the future’ described the research and development needed to build a truly usable digital library.

Paradigm Shift: Library to Social Semantic Digital Library

Old days of hard-copy books Library:

Archive (storage space)

Bibliographic cards (metadata)

Librarian (interface)

Pros:

Someone to talk to, to understand us, to explain, help in searching

Cons:

Based on physical location

Libraries are not connected – we have to visit every place

Yesterday of digital books Digital library

Database and archive (storage)

Digital bibliographic descriptions (metadata)

Full-text search (interface)

Pros: Content accessible online

Federations of libraries – visit less places

Cons: Lonely user - no one to talk to, we need to find the right keywords,

what if we do not know them (“man without an ear” paintings example)

Still many problems with interconnecting (different) libraries

Today of interconnected content Semantic Digital Libraries

Database and archive (storage)

Semantic bibliographic description (interconnected metadata)

Search and browsing on ontologies (interface)

Pros:

Search and browsing based on semantics can help in substituting the librarian

It is easier to interconnect heterogeneous libraries (RDF as common denominator)

Cons:

Semantics created from legacy formats – still hard to capture by most of average users

Tomorrow of social media

Social Semantic Digital Libraries Database and archive (storage)

Bibliographic descriptions with annotations provided by users (metadata)

Collaborative search and browsing (interface)

Pros: Users contribute to the classification process

Users can understand community driven annotations

Users enhance digital content using blogs, wikis on the side

Cons: Not everyone is convinced

Benefits of DLs DL brings the library to the user

DL brings information to the user, at work or at home.

With DL on the desk top, user never need to visit library building.

Improved access-searching and browsing Support multiple searching and browsing options which is

not possible in paper-based material.

Information can be shared more easily By intergrading using social software or through network

Easier to keep information current Information can be updated continuously much more easy.

Benefits of DLs Information is always available

Not limited by time and geography(3 A’s-Any time, any where, any format)

Wider Access

Meet simultaneous access requests for the same resource by many users.

Improved preservation

It is easier to copy and distribute digital information without fear of maintaining one physical object permanently.

Limitations of DLs Technological obsolescence

Hardware: The major risk is hardware obsolescence on which DL work. Solutions: Updation at regular interval

Software: A more serious problem is software obsolescence on which DL built. Solution: Software must compliance with standards like Dublin core, RDF

Cost of content refreshing Digital preservation is an ongoing operation requires

considerable recurring expense.

Rights management It is very easy to copy, replicate and distribute digital

information. Copyright in digital environment is a major issue.

VMOU, KOTA

CPDL-1/Block-1/Unit-1