Introduction to Introduction to digital librariesdigital 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 and Access to the RecordPreservation and Access to the Record

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

WebWeb 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? Is it a website?Is it a website?

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

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

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

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 Methods for Methods for finding, access finding, access andand

retrievalretrieval Methods for Methods for selection, organization, selection, organization,

andand maintenance maintenance of the collection of the collection Methods for Methods for preservationpreservation

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 FindingFinding AccessAccess RetrievalRetrieval

The LibrarianThe Librarian SelectionSelection OrganizationOrganization MaintenanceMaintenance PreservationPreservation

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

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

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

It is the wisdom that librarians put into the It is the wisdom that librarians put into the library that will distinguish digital libraries from library that will distinguish digital libraries from the chaos of the Webthe chaos of the Web

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

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 catalog (simplistic)in the library catalog (simplistic) 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

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

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 The process creates all the structures that are

needed at runtime to access the collectionneeded at runtime to access the collection Searching is based on indexes:Searching is based on indexes:

MetadataMetadata Full textFull text

Browsing is based on:Browsing is based on: MetadataMetadata Derived structures from the media (e.g. phrase structure Derived structures from the media (e.g. phrase structure

from full text)from 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 Open SourceOpen Source 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

DSpace SoftwareDSpace Software

DSpace Digital Library softwareDSpace Digital Library softwareMIT/HPMIT/HPDSpace FederationDSpace Federation Open SourceOpen Source ExtensibleExtensible Issued under the BSD General Public Issued under the BSD General Public

LicenseLicense

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

Others?Others?