Research and Advanced Technology for 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.

2008

This article provides an overview of some of the main areas surrounding the broad topic of 'Digital Libraries'. This includes the advantages and costs of digitisation; the traditional and digital library; the library community and digitisation; and an examination of various digital library projects. It is not exhaustive, but hopefully, it provides some general information and guidelines for the reader. The article concludes with a critique within a social and political angle, including a consideration of the gender issue.

2018

Fabio Cusimano A 'cloud' full of digitized manuscripts. The Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, from the Custos Catalogi to the Data Curator. Keywords (ENG.): Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, digital library, digitization, cooperation, free access, 'cloud', data curation, International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF). Abstract (ENG.): Digital libraries and digitization projects have developed from their inception as a temporary phenomenon to become a real opportunity. Today the dissemination of knowledge can make use of new web-based technologies, while also benefiting from the improved quality of digital objects, more mature metadata standards, more capable retrieval technologies, etc. But the roots of libraries are older than the so-called digital revolution, as can be seen from the case of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. Since the first years of the 17th century, this prestigious conservation library has managed and curated a special and unique collection of precious manuscripts, and, now as then, it makes those masterpieces freely available for users from all over the world, both at its reading room and, today, through its new digital initiative. Many librarians (also known as custodes catalogi) have succeeded each other over the centuries, always pursuing preservation and conservation targets, and always enriching and curating the catalogs. Today we are still inspired by those masters of the past, but we are also engaged in making these precious sources available for an ever-increasing audience thanks to our new freely accessible digital library.

2005

All over the world libraries are undergoing a major transformation. The need of the society is forcing the libraries to undergo such a change. The emerging technology of digital libraries (DL), an offshoot of information revolution, can drastically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management of physical and financial resources of libraries. The advantages of having a DL are now well understood by librarians, technologists, managers and others. The library has to equip to meet with global trends for the ultimate benefit of information seekers. Several factors play major role in the process of digitization. This paper discusses the transformation of a library from traditional type to the automated to digital form. It also highlights some of the issues involved in such process. Eventually coupled with digital technology, the DL becomes reality for anybody, anytime and anywhere.

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.

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.

Digital Presentation and Preservation of Cultural and Scientific Heritage

Paper deals with the current issues and challenges before digitization of literary heritage in the Bulgarian libraries. Main problems are outlined. Socialization of digitized heritage is commented.

2011

IIn the mid-1990’s, the Complutense Library applied the growing body of new technologies to launch, in partnership with the Foundation for the Health Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline Laboratories, a pioneering project: the digitization of a biomedicine valuable collection. The project resulted in the Dioscorides Digital Library. Nevertheless, by 2006, results were rather limited and the digitization rate was very slow. Currently, Dioscorides Digital Library offers free access to 3,000 books from the 14th to the 18th centuries and approximately 50,000 engravings. In September 2006 the Complutense University of Madrid and Google signed a partnership agreement intended to large-scale digitization of our collections in the public domain.

2006

This paper describes the case of the processing of digitised works at the BND -National Digital Library, in Portugal. This initiative created half a million of digitized images, from 25.000 titles of physical items. These represent a very heterogeneous sample of historical or more relevant items (printed monographic and newspapers, maps, manuscripts, drawings, etc.). The digitisation resulted in TIFF files, which need to be automatically processed to create the technical metadata, apply image processing actions, OCR, word indexing, and create derived copies for access in PNG, JPG, GIF, and PDF, as also the master copies for each of those works, for preservation. That process is described in this paper. It is fully automated through several XML schemas for the control of the processes, description of the results (including the OCR outputs), descriptive metadata (in Dublin Core, MARC XML, etc.) and rights and structural metadata (in METS).

Due to the diversity of their production, issuance, content and usage, digital news media poses new challenges for libraries. Traditional activities focusing on print newspapers have since grown to include e-legal deposit, digitisation and digital print masters archiving. The paper uses an example of digital news media collection at the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) to illustrate challenges in news media management. NSK currently collects legal deposit copies of analogue and digital news media and digitises newspapers. Recently, NSK started negotiating with Croatian publishers the topic concerning digital print masters archiving. In order to support the aforementioned activities, the Library has to establish new working processes, improve its existing information systems or develop entirely new ones. The paper presents the Library’s experience with the management of digital news media based on the results of the preliminary survey Digital news media in the HAW and DNC: 2004-2014. The investigation included gathering data on: quantity, types and formats of digital news media in digital library modules, e-legal deposit provisions, selection criteria, metadata, access and copyright, portal functionalities, and usage and promotion of portals. The challenges in relation to managing and providing a single access to all types of digital news media are also presented.

Digital Presentation and Preservation of Cultural and Scientific Heritage

This paper presents the project “Creating a digital collection in the fund of the University library in University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev” (Centre for digitalization), contract number No 2022- РУ -04, funded by the National Research Fund. Aim of the project is digitizing the first book collection in the University library’s fund and presenting it to the wide audience.

The terms "Digitization" "Digital Library" have evoked a wide range of responses among the people who have interest in digital information. This paper discusses the new activities, methods and technology used in digitization and formation of digital libraries. Digital Libraries are being created today for diverse communities and in different fields e.g. education, science, culture, development, health, governance and so on. It becomes essential for information professionals to investigate and understand the digitization and digital library development process . The paper ends with a call to integrate digitization into the plans and policies of any institution to maximize its effectiveness.

2005

The paper presents the methodology, technology and results of a collaborative Slovenian project aimed at e-publishing text-critical editions of literary heritage. The materials exhibit great complexity, as they are made available not only in facsimile but also in several interconnected transcriptions, and can include notes, glossaries, dictionaries, links to external resources, multimedia presentations, etc. Their preparation centres on up-translating the materials into a canonical, standardised edition employing XML and the Text Encoding Initiative Guidelines, and the down-translation of this storage format into the HTML Web presentation. This workflow relies on the use of open standards and intense collaboration between the content and technology providers. We also present the e-editions currently available from the project Web site and discuss further work, esp. the introduction of language technology into the publication process.

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.

Program, 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the technical know‐how required for digitisation of manuscripts. It aims to discuss the digitisation process of manuscripts adopted in the Jayakar Library, University of Pune in India and also to evaluate the digitisation software used in this project.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explains different steps of the digitisation process. It also explains the process for creating metadata fields for easy retrieval of manuscripts and evaluates the digitisation software.FindingsDigitisation of manuscripts is a difficult process because of the fragility and discolouration (yellowishness) of manuscripts. Creation of metadata and especially subject headings for manuscripts is difficult and time consuming. QuickScan software is good for image capturing and DSpace is good for providing access to digital contents.Originality/valueThe project details and use of different software in this project may be useful for others carrying out digitisat...