Chapter One Orientation: The world of digital libraries How to Build a Digital Library Ian H. Witten and David Bainbridge

Chapter OneChapter OneOrientation: Orientation:

The world of digital librariesThe world of digital libraries

How to Build a Digital LibraryHow to Build a Digital LibraryIan H. Witten and David BainbridgeIan H. Witten and David Bainbridge

What is a Library?What is a Library? A building where books are keptA building where books are kept

Most of the publicMost of the public Preservation of LiteraturePreservation of Literature

LibrariansLibrarians Collection & OrganizationCollection & Organization

of books, art, film, sound recordings, botanical specimen, of books, art, film, sound recordings, botanical specimen, cultural objects, etc.cultural objects, etc.

Networks of InformationNetworks of Information ResearchersResearchers

““the Web”the Web” Students & youthStudents & youth

What is a Digital What is a Digital Library?Library?

Is it an institution?Is it an institution? Is it a piece of technology?Is it a piece of technology?


NOT a “Digitized Library”NOT a “Digitized Library” Not to replace booksNot to replace books

NOT a means to deconstruct existing NOT a means to deconstruct existing institutionsinstitutions


A digital library is an organized A digital library is an organized collection of informationcollection of information A focused collection of A focused collection of digital objectsdigital objects, ,

including text, video, and audio, along including text, video, and audio, along with methods for with methods for access access andand retrieval retrieval, , and for and for selection, organization, selection, organization, andand maintenancemaintenance of the collection of the collection

What are Digital What are Digital Objects?Objects?

TextText AudioAudio VideoVideo 3D objects3D objects SimulationsSimulations Dynamic visualizationsDynamic visualizations Virtual worldsVirtual worlds

Who is Involved?Who is Involved?

The UserThe User AccessAccess RetrievalRetrieval

The LibrarianThe Librarian SelectionSelection OrganizationOrganization

Data versus InformationData versus Information

DataData Recorded factsRecorded facts

InformationInformation Set of patterns, or expectations, that Set of patterns, or expectations, that

underlie the dataunderlie the data KnowledgeKnowledge

Accumulation of a set of expectationsAccumulation of a set of expectations WisdomWisdom

Value attached to knowledgeValue attached to knowledge


A library without wallsA library without walls But it does need boundariesBut it does need boundaries

A new way of dealing with knowledge byA new way of dealing with knowledge by PreservingPreserving CollectingCollecting OrganizingOrganizing PropagatingPropagating AccessingAccessing

An organized collection of digital informationAn organized collection of digital information Purpose Purpose PrinciplesPrinciples

What about the What about the Librarian’s Job?Librarian’s Job?

Selection, organization, and maintenance Selection, organization, and maintenance are central to the notion of libraryare central to the notion of library

Librarians classify and catalog the records Librarians classify and catalog the records of ascertained knowledge, the literature of ascertained knowledge, the literature of the whole pastof the whole past

It is the wisdom that librarians put into It is the wisdom that librarians put into the library that will distinguish digital the library that will distinguish digital libraries from the chaos of the World Wide libraries from the chaos of the World Wide WebWeb

Digital library software supports the role Digital library software supports the role of librarians with organizational of librarians with organizational structures and maintenancestructures and maintenance

What is Metadata?What is Metadata? Metadata is “data about data” (glibly)Metadata is “data about data” (glibly) Metadata is the information that is included Metadata is the information that is included

in the library catalogin the library catalog Library catalogLibrary catalog

A complete model that represents, in a A complete model that represents, in a predictable manner, the universe of books in the predictable manner, the universe of books in the librarylibrary

Provides a summary of library contentsProvides a summary of library contents Bibliographies and IndexesBibliographies and Indexes

Virtual representations that give access to journal Virtual representations that give access to journal articles, government documents, microfiche and articles, government documents, microfiche and microfilm, and special collectionsmicrofilm, and special collections

Scope of Digital Scope of Digital LibrariesLibraries

Digital libraries offer unique ways of Digital libraries offer unique ways of recording, preserving, and recording, preserving, and propagating culture in multimedia propagating culture in multimedia formform

Four Examples:Four Examples: Support human developmentSupport human development Pushing on the frontiers of sciencePushing on the frontiers of science Preserving a traditional culturePreserving a traditional culture Exploring popular musicExploring popular music

Digital LibrariesDigital LibrariesIn Developing CountriesIn Developing Countries

Disseminate humanitarian informationDisseminate humanitarian information Information is in the public domainInformation is in the public domain Information can be made freely availableInformation can be made freely available

Disaster reliefDisaster relief The response to a crisis may produce larges amounts of The response to a crisis may produce larges amounts of

unstructured multimedia data that must be acquired, processed, unstructured multimedia data that must be acquired, processed, organized, and disseminatedorganized, and disseminated

These collections of information can be organized and created These collections of information can be organized and created rapidly with digital library technologyrapidly with digital library technology

Preserving indigenous culturePreserving indigenous culture Multimedia presentations can be accessed through a standard user Multimedia presentations can be accessed through a standard user

interfaceinterface Locally produced informationLocally produced information

Community can produce its own information collection for sustained Community can produce its own information collection for sustained long-term human developmentlong-term human development

The technological infrastructureThe technological infrastructure Machines may be readily donatedMachines may be readily donated Network access not required – CD-ROM or DVDNetwork access not required – CD-ROM or DVD

““Killer App”Killer App”

An application that creates a An application that creates a sustained market for a promising but sustained market for a promising but underutilized technologyunderutilized technology The World Wide Web may be the The World Wide Web may be the

Internet’s kill appInternet’s kill app Music collections may be the killer app Music collections may be the killer app

for digital librariesfor digital libraries Digital libraries may themselves be Digital libraries may themselves be

killer apps for computer technologykiller apps for computer technology

The Alexandrian The Alexandrian PrinciplePrinciple

““It is a librarian’s duty to increase It is a librarian’s duty to increase the stock of his library.”the stock of his library.”

According to Encyclopedia According to Encyclopedia Britannica, libraries are doubling in Britannica, libraries are doubling in size every 16 to 20 yearssize every 16 to 20 years

Notions are Being Notions are Being ReplacedReplaced

Focused CollectionsFocused Collections Rather than the Alexandrian modelRather than the Alexandrian model

Service to library usersService to library users Rather than massive storehouse of Rather than massive storehouse of

informationinformation Unrestrained growth leads to chaosUnrestrained growth leads to chaos

Virtual Library?Virtual Library?

Virtual:Virtual: Existing in essence or effect though not Existing in essence or effect though not

in actual fact, form or namein actual fact, form or name

Virtual Library:Virtual Library: A library without wallsA library without walls (no books either)(no books either)

About LibrariesAbout Libraries

A LibraryA Library Generally includes many different Generally includes many different

collectionscollections Each collection may be organized Each collection may be organized

differentlydifferently Usually a strong resemblance in how Usually a strong resemblance in how

collections are presentedcollections are presented

About CollectionsAbout Collections

A Collection of InformationA Collection of Information Provides a standard interface by which Provides a standard interface by which

all documents may be accessedall documents may be accessed May contain many different types of May contain many different types of

documentsdocuments May contain a few documents to several May contain a few documents to several

million documentsmillion documents Becomes maintainable, searchable, and Becomes maintainable, searchable, and

browsablebrowsable

About DocumentsAbout Documents

A DocumentA Document An information-bearing message in An information-bearing message in

electronically recorded formelectronically recorded form The fundamental unit or building block The fundamental unit or building block

on which information collections are builton which information collections are built May have its own substructure with May have its own substructure with

associated filesassociated files Usually contains textUsually contains text May also contain sound, images or videoMay also contain sound, images or video

Building a CollectionBuilding a Collection Once the building process is established, it becomes Once the building process is established, it becomes

automaticautomatic The process creates all the structures that are needed at The process creates all the structures that are needed at

runtime to access the collectionruntime to access the collection SearchingSearching

Based on indexesBased on indexes Full textFull text MetadataMetadata

BrowsingBrowsing Based on:Based on:

MetadataMetadata Phrase StructuresPhrase Structures Information abstracted from the full textInformation abstracted from the full text

Rebuilding the collectionRebuilding the collection When new material becomes available, it can be fully When new material becomes available, it can be fully

incorporated into the collectionincorporated into the collection

Greenstone SoftwareGreenstone Software

Greenstone Digital Library softwareGreenstone Digital Library softwareNew Zealand Digital Library ProjectNew Zealand Digital Library ProjectUniversity of WaikatoUniversity of Waikato PublicPublic ExtensibleExtensible Issued under the GNU General Public Issued under the GNU General Public

LicenseLicense

Features of Greenstone Features of Greenstone SoftwareSoftware

Access through Web Access through Web browserbrowser

Windows or UnixWindows or Unix Searching Searching BrowsingBrowsing Easy to maintainEasy to maintain Various metadataVarious metadata Plug-ins for new document Plug-ins for new document

typestypes Multiple languagesMultiple languages Text, pictures, audio, videoText, pictures, audio, video Hierarchical phrase and Hierarchical phrase and

key-phrase indexeskey-phrase indexes

Multi-gigabyteMulti-gigabyte CompressionCompression Password ProtectionPassword Protection User logsUser logs Administrative functionsAdministrative functions Updates dynamically Updates dynamically

without bringing system without bringing system downdown

Publish to CD-ROMPublish to CD-ROM Uniform presentation Uniform presentation

across different computersacross different computers Open-source softwareOpen-source software

Things to ConsiderThings to Consider

CopyrightCopyright Collecting from the WebCollecting from the Web Illegal or harmful materialIllegal or harmful material

Standards varyStandards vary Cultural sensitivityCultural sensitivity