Digital Library And Its Services

Digital Library And Its Services

The latest innovations in computer and communication technologies have tremendously changed the ways of collection, storage, processing, preservation and transmission of information. The emergence and development of these modern technologies have resulted in the evolution of the novel concept of digital library. The concept of digital library does not mean only a digitized collection with information management tools but it refers to an environment, which is created to bring together collections, services and people in support of the full life cycle of creation, preservation, utilization and dissemination of information, data and knowledge as a whole. A digital library is not a library in the traditional sense, but it is a network of highly sophisticated multimedia systems connected to high-speed networks through a media server. A digital library may be defined as an electronic version of a traditional library where all the information will exist in digital form, totally free of any matter printed on paper leading to a paperless environment.

Association of Research Libraries has identified the following five elements in various definitions of the digital libraries1: -

1) The digital library is not a single entity;

2) The digital library requires technology to link the resources of many;

3) The linkages between the many digital libraries and information services are transparent to the end users;

4) Universal access to digital libraries and information services is a goal;

5) Digital library collections are not limited to document surrogates: they extend to digital artifacts that cannot be represented or distributed in printed formats.

This definition introduces the concept of distributed and linked resources. The digital resources are the collections and information services. The digital collections are digital surrogates, non-printable objects and digital artifacts that cannot be distributed in printed form.

The term ‘digital library’ refers to an entirely new method of carrying out the functions of library, which encompasses new types of electronic information resources, new approaches to acquisition, especially more access to the collection of other libraries and sharing its resources with others. It also includes new techniques of storage and preservation as well as new approaches to classification and cataloguing especially of electronic data. It involves intensive use of computer system and networks making dramatic shifts intellectual, organizational and electronic practices. This brings the digital library at par with the traditional library as in addition to the traditional text based information of traditional library the data accessed through the digital library includes non text information (photographs, drawings, illustrations, work of art); streams of numeric data (satellite information, cosmological data); digitized sound and moving visual images and 3D representations (holograms).

The origin and development of digital libraries is only three decades old. At the global scenario, digital libraries are based on mini computers and they provide basic services for remote access and online search and retrieval. In fact, they make use of techniques to share bibliographic records and link different remote system. However, 1990s brought in a true revolution in digital library system. The advent of www offered a crucial advantage with the availability of ready-to-use, publicly available, user-friendly graphical web browser for all prevalent platforms. Standard www clients such as Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer are being upgraded regularly for added foundationally such as E-mail client, support for JAVA, active X and the ability to view important document formats without having to install plug-ins for them. Recent growth documents in digital libraries can be attributed to availability of the Internet and Web Technology as a media of information presentation and delivery and convenience it offers.

According to the working group of the U.S. Government’s Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA), “Digital Libraries are systems providing users with coherent access to a very large, organized repository of information and knowledge." 2

Digital Libraries Federation (consortium of libraries and related agencies pioneering in the use of electronic information technologies) has defined the digital library as, “ Digital libraries are organization that provide the resources, including the specialized staff, to select, structure, other 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 a set of communities.” 3

The NFS/ARPA/NASA, Digital Library Initiative, states, “Information sources accessed via the Internet are ingredients of a digital library. Today, the network connects some information sources that are a mixture of publicly available (with or without charge) information and private information shared by collaborators. They include reference volumes, books, journals, newspaper, national phone directories, sound and video recordings, images, video clips, scientific data (raw data streams from instruments and processed information) and private information services such as stock market reports and private newsletters. These information sources, when connected electronically through a network, represent important components of emerging, universally accessible digital libraries.” 4

The Internet has emerged as a fastest growing source of global information centers for providing information services to users. So the connectivity of digital library to the Internet is very important.

Digital library comprises a machine-readable representation of materials, which might be found in traditional library. In addition to this representation, organizing information is also available to assist users in finding specific information. In a digital library, the desired information can be accessed very conveniently, whenever required. Digital library is a medium, which provides an easy and instant access to information to the user. As a result digital libraries are gaining immense popularity among the users all over the world.

A digital library can provide different types of services to its users. They are mentioned as follows: -

1. A digital library aims to meet user needs by providing the information sort by the user. It is able to anticipate and access the user needs. It also encourages awareness among the users regarding the potential of digital resources to fulfill individual information needs.

2. The digital library can provide users with complete, accurate answers to information queries regardless of their complexity.

3. A digital library develops information, reference and directional services consistent with the objectives of the institutions or community it serves.

4. A digital library may employ media publicity about the services it offers in order to reach its entire users effectively.

5. A digital library provides instructions to the users so that they can effectively use its digital resources.

6. A digital library usually serves the user community by collecting and creating information and referral files meant to provide access to the services and resources of local, regional and national organizations.

7. A digital library can participate in consortia and networks to obtain access to information sources and services, which it cannot provide on its own.

8. In case, the digital library is not able to provide the needed information to any user, it may refer either the user to some other agency/expert/library that can provide the desired information. While referring a user to another expert/library, the information services personnel should confirm that the needed information is available with that agency and it will extend its services to that user.

9. A digital library can provide access to the information systems outside the library, when these systems can meet the information needs of the user more effectively and efficiently than the internal resources.

10. A digital library usually develops and makes available to the public, a statement of its reference service policy.

References

1.www.ifla.org.documents.libraries/net.arl-dlib.txt.

2. Rajashekhar, T. B. Digital libraries: attributes and architecture (In: Procceding of SIS 15th Annual Convention and Conference, 18-20 Jan, 1996, Banglore, new age Publishers, New Delhi, pp.191-193.0.

3. Sharma, Meenu. Digital libraries: an insight into the future (Paper presented at 21st Annual Convention and Conference, Society for Information Science, 9-11 Apr, 2003, central Library, IIT Roorkee, p.76.).

4. www.dlist.sir.arizona.edu/archieve/00000236/01/lecture_rrc_20july2003.pfd.

* About the author: -

Mohammad Azeem Siddiqui, the author of this presentation, is pursuing Research in the field of Library & Information Science at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The author has also successfully completed the Masters course in Library & Information Science. He has also completed a Post Graduate course in Marketing & Sales management after completing B.Sc.

The author has written several papers on different topics related to Library & Information Science which have been published in different journals of National importance. He has also presented papers in many National Seminars and Conferences.

Email: - azeem_mlisc@yahoo.com Mobile: - 09936067170