This document provides an overview of digital libraries, including their definition, characteristics, infrastructure, formats, standards, benefits, and limitations. A digital library is a collection of digital objects that can be accessed online, along with methods for organizing and maintaining the collection. It functions similarly to a traditional library but provides remote access to resources through computer and network infrastructure. Examples of digital libraries in India are also given.

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DIGITAL LIBRARIES: ANDIGITAL LIBRARIES: AN
OVERVIEWOVERVIEW
MD AZIZUR RAHMANMD AZIZUR RAHMAN
azizurmlis@gmail.comazizurmlis@gmail.com

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Digital Library: DefinitionDigital Library: Definition
"a focused collection of digital objects,"a focused collection of digital objects,
including text, video, and audio, along withincluding text, video, and audio, along with
methods for access and retrieval, and formethods for access and retrieval, and for
selection, organization, and maintenance ofselection, organization, and maintenance of
the collection“the collection“
- Ian Witten and David Bainbridge- Ian Witten and David Bainbridge

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Emergence of Internet and W W WEmergence of Internet and W W W
Availability of extraordinary user interfaceAvailability of extraordinary user interface
Availability of resources in plentyAvailability of resources in plenty
Systematic organisation of the collectionsSystematic organisation of the collections
Providing easy access to the collectionsProviding easy access to the collections
from anywhere, any time, any formatfrom anywhere, any time, any format
Multiple accessMultiple access
Digital Library – Why?Digital Library – Why?

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Digital Library: CharacteristicsDigital Library: Characteristics
It is a digital counterpart of traditionalIt is a digital counterpart of traditional librarieslibraries
It owns and controls the informationIt owns and controls the information
It has a unified organizational structure withIt has a unified organizational structure with
consistent points for accessing the dataconsistent points for accessing the data
It is not a single entityIt is not a single entity
It supports quick and efficient access to aIt supports quick and efficient access to a largelarge
number of distributed and interlinkednumber of distributed and interlinked informationinformation
sourcessources

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Contd…
It has collections that:
are large and persist over time
are well-organized and managed
contain many formats
contain objects that are unobtainable and
digital aborigine
It includesincludes all the processes and services
provided by traditional libraries

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Digital Library (DL): InfrastructureDigital Library (DL): Infrastructure
Collection InfrastructureCollection Infrastructure
Access InfrastructureAccess Infrastructure
Computer and Network InfrastructureComputer and Network Infrastructure
Digital Resource OrganizationDigital Resource Organization
Manpower TrainingManpower Training

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Acquisition of collections available in digital
formats
Buying access to external digital collections
Converting datasets of ‘Born Digital’ documents
Conversion of print media to digital media
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Creating portal sites or gateways to the
electronic collections available on the web
Providing integrated access interface
DL: Collection InfrastructureDL: Collection Infrastructure

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Searching and browsing interfaces
Information retrieval
Access to meta resources
DL: Access InfrastructureDL: Access Infrastructure

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Server – Hardware Components
 Input devices
 Storage devices
 Communication devices
Server – Software Components
 Image capturing or scanning software
 Image enhancement and manipulation
 Integrated library systems
 Web servers
 OCR software
 Database management software
DL: Computer and NetworkDL: Computer and Network
InfrastructureInfrastructure

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Client – Hardware and Software
Components
 Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator
 Acrobat Reader
 Real Player
 WS_FTP pro
 MS – Office
 TIFF Viewer
DL: Computer and NetworkDL: Computer and Network
InfrastructureInfrastructure

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Object naming and addressing Uniform
Resource Name (URN)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Online Database Connectivity (ODBC)
 ODBC Drivers
 Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
 Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
Metadata
DL: Digital Resource OrganisationDL: Digital Resource Organisation

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Digital document imaging
Distributed database management
Hypertext
Information storage, search, and retrieval
Integration of multimedia information services
Handling multilingual collections
Electronic reference service
Electronic document delivery service
Selective dissemination of information (SDI)
DL: Manpower TrainingDL: Manpower Training

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Simple Text or ASCII
Structured Text Format
Page Description Language
Page Image Format
DL: Formats and Media TypesDL: Formats and Media Types

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Standardisation
Families of standards
Specification-based interaction
Mediation
Mobile functionality
Digital Library: Inter-operabilityDigital Library: Inter-operability

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Digital Library: PreservationDigital Library: Preservation
Storage Media
Access to Content

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Digital Library (DL): BenefitsDigital Library (DL): Benefits
Bring the library to the userBring the library to the user
Improved access – searching and browsingImproved access – searching and browsing
Easy storage of informationEasy storage of information
Easy to keep information up-to-dateEasy to keep information up-to-date
Easy to make information available alwaysEasy to make information available always
Wider accessWider access
Collaboration and exchange of ideasCollaboration and exchange of ideas
Improved preservationImproved preservation

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Digital Library (DL): LimitationsDigital Library (DL): Limitations
Technological obsolescence
Cost of content refreshing
Rights management
Inter-operability
Network bandwidth

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Digital Libraries in IndiaDigital Libraries in India
Digital Library of India
(DLI)
Indian Institute of
Science (IISc)
www.dli.ernet.in
Traditional Knowledge
Digital Library (TKDL)
NISCAIR www.tkdl.res.in
Search Digital Libraries
(SDL)
DRTC http://drtc.isibang.ac.in/sdl/
Librarians' Digital
Library (LDL)
DRTC https://drtc.isibang.ac.in
Vidyanidhi University of
Mysore
http://www.vidyanidhi.org.in

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ePrints@IIScePrints@IISc

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Librarians’ Digital LibraryLibrarians’ Digital Library

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OpenMED@NICOpenMED@NIC

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Digital Library: OSSDigital Library: OSS
GSDL (New Zealand)
Eprints (UK)
DSpace (USA)
ARNO (Netherlands)
CDSware (Switzerland)
Fedora (USA)
i-Tor (Netherlands)
MyCoRe (Germany)

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• W W W Virtual Library (www.edoc.com)
• Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org)
• Penn Electronic Library
(www.library.upenn.edu/resources)
• BUBL Information Service (http://bubl.ac.uk)
• Internet Index
(http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/InternetIndex)