Digital libraries

Programming and Computer Software, 2002

Digital Libraries Initiative declared in the USA in the autumn of 1993 aroused interest to information systems of this class in many countries all over the world. Today, numerous research teams are involved in activities related to such systems. A significant number of digital libraries for diverse purposes are already in operation, and various research prototypes have been created. This subject has been discussed at international conferences dedicated specifically to digital libraries and conferences on fundamental directions of information system technologies, such as database technologies, Web technologies, textual search, data mining, and knowledge discovery. Programming and Computer Software already addressed the problems arising in relation to digital libraries. This issue of the journal further explores the subject.

Programming and Computer Software, 2000

In the paper, the origins of a new branch of information systems--the so-called digital libraries-is briefly discussed. Serious study and development in this area only began in the early 1990s. Characteristics of digital library systems and the range of related problems are examined. The papers of Russian authors published in this special issue are presented. These papers are based on the materials reported at the first Russian national conference on digital tibraries, hetd in Oclober 1999.

2009

There are numerous challenges in organising a digital ilbrary (DL) and successfully get to the user the articles he/she wants. Some of the problems have already been addressed and a few more are yet to be solved. Various standards have already been developed in storage and retrieval of digital data which are described here. They range from the standards that cover Portable Document Format files through the standards that govern international cataloguing efforts to standards for searching.

Digital documents as the real ones have to be classified and indexed in a library for proper future exploitation. Classification and indexation process is a hard one for librarians all over the world. A software system can ease their work and make the process more accurate. We present in our paper methods for classifying and indexing publications, suitable for such a system and analyze different storage and index database management systems capabilities in order to use them as support for classification, indexation and retrieval processes in an integrated software system for libraries. Furthermore, the problem of storing and retrieval of full content of a publication is taken into consideration.

2006

We explore connections between digital libraries and interactive document image analysis. Digital libraries can provide useful data and metadata for research in automated document image analysis, and allow unbiased testing of DIA algorithms. With these goals in mind, we suggest criteria for constructing and evaluating interactive DIA tools.

Rapid development of information communication technologies (ICTs) has made an environment globally to the growth of digital libraries. Digital libraries (DL) are facilitating researchers, scholars, learners, information professionals to access their information in variety of formats and learning support at their desktops without any geographical barrier. They are providing electronic based (e-based) information delivery to its users crossing the boundaries of time, space and location. DL users can be reached remotest corners of the world to fill their thrust of information. It makes a gateway to the users for retrieving and browsing of desired information from its huge resources like one stop shopping of big shopping mall. It provides extra services of 24X7 hour uninterrupted access through Internet to the users at their desktop. . It supports teaching, learning and research while reaching unreachable without walls. Greater revolution has occurred in the libraries recent past converting paper-based libraries to electronic based ones. With the emergence of WWW and availability of national and global networks, libraries have turned their attention to digital collections rather than building printed-based collection. In this way, librarian's role dramatically changed and is responsible for what digital repositories available for their users and how users can access to the available information within the physical walls of the library or elsewhere.

2003

Our purpose is to ensure that people and institutions better manage information through digital libraries (DLs). Thus we address a fundamental human and social need, which is particularly urgent in the modern Information (and Knowledge) Age. Our goal is to significantly advance both the theory and state-of-theart of DLs (and other advanced information systems) - thoroughly validating our approach using highly visible testbeds. Our research objective is to leverage our formal, theory-based approach to the problems of defining, understanding, modeling, building, personalizing, and evaluating DLs. We will construct models and tools based on that theory so organizations and individuals can easily create and maintain fully functional DLs, whose components can interoperate with corresponding components of related DLs. This research should be highly meritorious intellectually. We bring together a team of senior researchers with expertise in information retrieval, human-computer interaction...

2001

Evaluation of digital libraries (DLs) is essential for further development in this area. Whereas previous approaches were restricted to certain facets of the problem, we argue that evaluation of DLs should be based on a broad view of the subject area. For this purpose, we develop a new description scheme using four major dimensions: data/collection, system/technology, users, and usage. For each of these dimensions, we describe the major attributes. Using this scheme, existing DL test beds can be characterised. For this purpose, we have performed a survey by means of a questionnaire, which is now continued by setting up a DL meta-library.

STM Journal-Journal of Advancements in Library Sciences, 2019

The Digital library aims to provide access to information 'on demand' regardless of the location of the computer, where it is stored. The role of digital libraries in the present day information environment and new challenges and promises for library services especially in the India. A Digital Library is to be an electronic collection of real or virtual resources, which may also be available elsewhere. These resources must be whole works with which human can have a complete cognitive effective engagement. A Digital library may allow either online or offline access to the elements it organizes and houses, and may include multimedia as well as multilingual data. Although accessible online, a digital library is not identical to a website or a portal however while portals, specialized websites and search engines cover a wide range of subject areas, digital libraries are more narrowly focused around one or a specific group of disciplines. Digital libraries, moreover attach content specific and highly descriptive metadata such as, descriptors or keywords to describe each item in the collection. Therefore, searches in a digital library can produce more useful results, save time and effort in searching , and in the best of cases browsers may directly access the text or multimedia content for which they executive their search. INTRODUCTION We are living in the age of digitization. Library provides information services that must fulfill the Information needs of present and future library users. Traditional libraries are still handling largely printed materials that are expensive and bulky. Information seekers are also longer satisfied with only printed materials. They need to supplement the printed information with more dynamic electronic and multimedia documents. The user demands for information delivery in digital form at their desktop are increasing in recent times. In the present environment where there is a wealth of information resources being published and transmitted through electronic media, libraries must take proactive measures to develop digital collections to cater to digital information needs of their users[1].

The concept of digital library is not a new one, although it is only recently that digital library is gaining prominence all over the world. This article provides a holistic understanding of digital libraries including its present context and future directions. Various technical issues ingrained in the concept of digital library also has been analysed in the article. Issues like interoperability, information retrieval, property and access control and usability also has been discussed in detail. Although digital library is a technical phenomenon, it has wider social and economic implications. The article casts a critical glance at these implications as well. In the end, ongoing international efforts in the arena of digital libraries also has been discussed.