553 what are digital libraries

© Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University

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What are digital libraries?Variety of perspectives and

models

Tefko Saracevic, Ph.D.

School of Communication, Information and Library Studies

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey, [email protected]

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko


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On the scene Several different communities involved in digital

libraries, each with quite differentconcepts, emphasis, approach, agenda

Many disciplines, institutions involvednational & global interest

Large research projects - U.S. & abroad Many libraries investing & changing - hugely Very high significance for the future of libraries & library

& information professionals


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Basic problems addressed

Creating means & ways for dealing with & using human knowledge records in the new digitalized AND networked worldHow to deal with electronic “books”, journals,

publications, texts, images, sounds,? create, organize, represent, store, interact, preserve?

What access & services to provide?How to effect use? Communities?AND all in a networked environment?


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Problems ... Problems are

technical, organizational, operational managerial, institutionalsocial, legal, economic, cultural …

Creating a new world for libraries and for organization, access, preservation & use of human knowledge records in all formats

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 Complex problems in any approach

Many experiments; many experts & “experts” Highly exiting & volatile area


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Major (but only) perspectives Two major conceptualizations stressing:

1. distributed objects in various forms, distributed access, representation, operability (computer science)

2. institution, collection, services, availability (libraries)

First is research perspective focus on a range of research problems, with little or no operations;

“D-lib” very broadly interpreted

Second is library operational perspective focus on practical problems of transforming library institutions and

services, with little or no research; “D-lib” very specifically interpreted


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Research perspective

"Digital libraries are organized collections of digital information. They combine the structuring and gathering of information, which libraries and archives have always done, with the digital representation that computers have made possible.” Lesk, 1997

“Digital library is a managed collection of information, with associated services, where information is stored in digital formats and accessible over a network.” Arms, 2000


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Library perspective

“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.”

Digital Libraries Federation (DLF)


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Computer science, engineering Concentrating on research & development Technology centered

distributed & organized knowledge resources in electronic, digital formats

collect, store, organize, distribute, access, interact diverse types of information

– texts, images, sounds, multimedia in many areas

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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Libraries and information science Concentrates on institutions, service, practice

logical extension of libraries Content, collection centered

Creation of digital collections - variety of formsSubscription, licensing, sharing of digital resourcesOrganization, representation, storingAccess to collections

Guided by service mission various environments, user communities various degrees of integration - hybrid libraries


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Examples of operational projects

Large number in the U.S. - various institutions - e.g.:National Digital Library of the Library of Congress

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

Numerous projects in Europe - e.g.:Library Working Group in Britain; publishers projects with

National Libraries; Delos Working Group (Espirit);ERCIM consortium of institutions

All have web pages & many links to projects


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Digital libraries & organizations Variety of organizations built digital libraries

scientific & technical societiesvarious fields, academic unitsprojects - institutions, consortiagovernment agencies, international organizations

Concentrate on applications & accessAvailability of collections in different fieldsNew forms of publishing, housing & distributionGenerally aimed at services to their communities or perceived

needs


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Digital libraries & business Offering various kinds of digital libraries, collections,

services, information resourcesconcentrating on markets, opportunities, nicheslibrary and non-library markets

Publishers & digital publications - BIG businesstraditional publishers changing & new emergingproviding libraries with different arrangements

electronic licenses, subscription, storage, services relations between libraries & publishers drastically changing

mix of new technology & new economics


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Advantages: Why digital libraries? Access: brings library to users

always available; better and wider deliverymany libraries now possible to use

Sharing: information resources; linking Timeliness: easier to keep current Searching, browsing: use of computer power Information resources: new forms possible Services: new & new forms possible Costs: may save effort, money??


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Problems for libraries Integration between print and digital

mixing new digital technology with print, local with global; managing diverse resources - all difficult

economic trade-off decisions; new economic relations Competition for scarce resources sharpening Institutional, cultural & social adjustments not easy Bridging the digital divide Resistance, threats:

guerilla warfare within and nuclear annihilation without


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Economic issues Costs not insignificant - WHO PAYS?

Two traditions: old - users, new (“free”) - providers 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 Legal issues: copyright protection, security Individual: privacy protection; rights; obligations

role in information exchanges, work, needs; life ... Organizations: integration; changing structure Traditional libraries: disappearing? changing? Education: impact on all levels; integration Computing & society: disparity between information

rich & poor; digital divide; equity


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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 Making libraries more central to needs & users


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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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