A general course in digital libraries: A case study Tefko Saracevic, PhD School of Communication,...
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A general course in digital libraries:
A case study
Tefko Saracevic, PhDSchool of Communication, Information & Library StudiesRutgers University, USAhttp://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko/
1©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic
Table of Content
• Purpose; dilemmas; • What is a digital library?• Why teach a general course in digital
libraries? – rationale for course & topics• What to teach in such a course? –
content for course & topics• How to teach such a course? - methods• Experiences• Generalizations, conclusions, challenges
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 2
This is an open source course
All the materials – lectures, assignments, exercises,
discussions –
are freely available at
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko/Courses/e553/index.htmThis paper & lecture at http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko/articles.htm
following Creative Commons 3©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic
Purpose of the paper
by concentrating on description of a specific courseat a given institution
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 4
To suggest a range of topics for general digital library courses in contemporary & ever changing digital environments
Dilemma?
• Digital libraries (DL) are– relatively new in comparison to brick &
mortar (B&M) libraries– but explosive growth
• in many areas in and out of libraries
• B&M library education well established– digital library education is not yet– but need is growing to
• educate competent DL professionals • & for ALL librarians to know about dig libraries
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 5
What is the dilemma?
Why? The rationale why do we want to teach the given course?Or a given topics within the course?
What? What topics do we want to teach in the course?Or within a topic what do we want to teach?What topics we do NOT want to teach?
How? How will we go about teaching the course?Or given topics?
Given that we want to have a general, introductory course in digital libraries
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 6
These are three classic questions for any course and every topic in a courseThese are three classic questions for any course and every topic in a course
What is a digital library?
• Technological perspective:
distributed & organized knowledge resources in digital formats
• how to collect, store, organize, diverse types of information - texts, images, sounds, multimedia …
• Institutional perspective:
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
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 7
Differing conceptions, perspectives = differing approaches, concerns, implementations
Differing perspectives = different education• Technological:Infrastructure
Oriented toward technological aspects – hardware, software, networks - needed to develop & run digital libraries, with all kinds of media & distributed
Mostly centered around computer science
BUT librarians have to know a lot about it
• InstitutionalContents & structure
Oriented toward mission of given institutions
Concentrates on operations, service logical extension of libraries, museums …
Content, collection, access centered
- various types of materials, digitization, preservation
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 8
In this course, as in library & information science education
• Technological issues:
To some extend treated in LIS education – but most students need basics to follow up
Other courses address technology, thus only lightly treated here
Trend: separation of technological from institutional components
• Institutional issues:
Integration between print and digital
mixing new digital technology with print, local with global; managing diverse resources - all difficult
Competition for scarce resources sharpening
Cultural & social adjustments not easy
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 9
In this course
Other courses
Course objectives; themesA. Concepts: What are digital libraries? Differing
conceptions, approaches and implementations. Evolution and stakeholders.
B. Content: Changing nature of collections and resources in digital environments. Digitization.
C. Organization: Representation of digital library content; metadata.
D. Services: Alternatives in access to digital libraries. User communities and use. Evaluation.
E. Research & development: Research and developmental projects and initiatives in various fields.
F. Context: Institutional effects. Management. Social, economic, ethical, and legal concerns.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 10
topics …C. Organization:
D. Services
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 12
7.
Digitization – processes & standards
topics …
E. Research & development:
F. Context
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 13
11.
Preservation efforts & approaches
Why?No simple answer - not a
matter of definition but rather one of conception.
Several constituencies interested in digital libraries developed differing conceptions of what is encompassed.
Different stakeholders emphasized different stakes.
Digital libraries are evolving.
What?What are some of the
conceptions of digital libraries and where did they come from?
How do they differ and relate?
Distinction between approaches to digital libraries in research, in technology & institutional settings
Basic structure and content of digital libraries
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 14
1.
What is a digital library?
Why?Libraries were always
connected with technology from ancient clay tablets to modern information and communication technology.
From this historical perspective, digital libraries are a further evolutionary and even revolutionary step in library implementations and services.
What?Starts with a series of
illustrations that show historical connection between libraries and technology, ending in present digital technology.
Continues with examination of some pioneering ideas and people that affected development of digital libraries
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 15
2.
History & predecessors
Why?Everything about digital
libraries changes quite rapidly – practices, structures, configurations, processes, research results
A professional in order to be and remain a professional has to keep up with relevant information and advances. So do students.
What?A list of information sources,
both online and print, classified according to their nature. Links are provided in the lecture for further examination and pursuit.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 16
3. Keeping up with
advances in dig libraries
Why?Digital libraries come not only
from libraries (be they academic, public, national, special …), but from many other institutions & subjects not at all connected with a given library as an institution.
They have a great variety of content; many are oriented toward specific subjects.
Most importantly: they are used by a variety of users & for a variety of uses.
• What?A survey of various types of
digital libraries:• National libraries• Academic libraries• Public libraries• Borne digital libraries• Museums• Subject resources• DLibs in societies,
organizations• Books on the Web• Web archives
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 17
4.
Diversity of digital libraries
Why?The concept of what constitutes
a collection in the networked environment is undergoing a transformation from the age-old concept of library collection signified by ownership.
A new concept of a digital collection is evolving incorporating adaptations of many old features & standards, & creation of many brand new ones.
What?Forces shaping differing
collection concepts in digital environments
Broadening concepts of collections
Management of digital collections
Selection criteria
Contemporary issues with digital collections
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 18
5.
What is a collection in digital libraries?
Why?A prerequisite for effective
searching and handling of digital resources is effective organization and representation of data or content in a way that machines can recognize what is what and then act accordingly.
Enter metadata as a solution - a standardized description of what a text or any object is all about.
What?Importance of metadata in two
environments: library and the Web.
Precursors of contemporary developments in metadata
Specification of standards for metadata
Examples of standards in several domains
Metadata projects
Application problems
Ultimate idea: The semantic
web.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 19
6.
Representation of information. Metadata
Why?In a technical sense,
digitization is the process of creating a digital image from an information object – text, picture, sound … .
But in a broader sense, digitization involves a number of other processes & a host of decisions related to these processes. The aim is to explore digitization in this broader context.
What?A number of decisions that
have to be made in• selection of object to digitize• criteria and constrains in
selection, including legal requirements
• determination of standards for scanning
• scanning technology & process
• quality control of scanned objects, and
• posting for use.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 20
7.
Digitization – processes & standards
Why?Ultimately, digital libraries
exist to provide services.
Digital libraries may be and have been viewed as extensions & augmentations of physical libraries.
But, because of technology involved, they also provide a number of additional functionalities, which translate into additional & different services.
What?Comparing functions and
services of physical with those of digital libraries.
Examining services unique to digital libraries.
Considering access as a major service, including numerous components.
Exploring visions for digital libraries in general – as they translate into services.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 21
8.
Services. Access & use.
Why?Evaluation is an essential
process in finding how digital libraries performed, how user reacted, and what are issues or problems in their usability.
In digital libraries criteria are not standardized. Thus, evaluation presents a formidable problem not only in carrying it out, but even in formulating what & how is to be evaluated.
What?Considering evaluation as
assessment of performance (effectiveness, efficiency) of digital libraries.
Particularly problematic in evaluation is determination and selection of criteria & methodologies to be used as a base for evaluation. The pragmatics of actually conducting evaluation is addressed.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 22
9.
Evaluation of services. Criteria & methods
Why?Digital libraries present a
formidable set of problems for research to establish an effective alliance between modern technology and use of libraries containing human knowledge records. This goal is often expressed as “Connecting people, information and technology.”
As in many other fields, DL practice & research have to be connected for progress in both.
What?Considering research in
digital libraries from differing perspectives.
Up to now, we were primarily oriented toward addressing digital library progress and issues from a library perspective.
Another perspective, mostly coming from computer science is examined.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 23
10.
Research in digital libraries
Why?As it turns out, digital medium
provides the widest possible access to human knowledge records in history & at the same time has the least lasting rate. It perishes easily and fast; often it exists only fleetingly.
Preserving digital records has become a major problem for digital libraries – from small to big ones, from public to national.
What?Preservation has many
dimensions, some include compatibility between media and technology, others refer to economic and physical sustainability, & still others to storage and access over time.
Examination of a variety of dimensions of digital library preservation & major projects aimed at preservation.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 24
11.
Preservation efforts & approaches
Why?For a long time, economics of
publishing & of libraries has been set. Now these old models are changing. Digital resources changed radically economic exchange relations and consideration of value.
New economic models have not been settled yet, they are still evolving, for libraries, publishers, users, and use.
What?Explore new economic models
evolving in relation to digital library operations that are quite different from traditional library economic models.
Explore new economic models of publishing, or more precisely digital publishing.
Consider the interaction between the two.
Critical economic issues facing digital libraries.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 25
12.
Economic issues in digital libraries
Why?The Internet & digital resources
provide a big challenge to consideration of copyright, fair use, & a host of other legal aspects, such as rights management. Laws & legal decisions in many countries grappled with them. Digital libraries are affected: there is a legal limit on how certain digital content can be handled, used & managed & how access is provided.
What?Explore the legal framework
of digital library management, access, and use; and
In a broader vain, explore some of the new legal challenges and conflicts in the digital and Internet realm.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 26
13.
Legal issues in digital libraries
Why?Digital libraries are affected
by trends in their broader and more immediate environments. By trend it is not meant here to guess or prophesize a future, but to survey and follow some general tendencies and directions that are readily observable.
What?Survey effects on digital
libraries of trends in:
1. digital information in general
proliferation of digital information
changes in role of d-information
increased competition
new services
measuring, justification
2. specific changes in their:
immediate institutional or community environment
users & use
technology developments
legal, policy and political contexts.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 27
14.
Trends. Projections in the future
How? Methods
Associated with each topic are four components: lecture, assignment, exercise, discussion.
Lectures provide an overview of the topic, raise critical issues, and provide links to sites as examples.
Assignments consist of readings, & then a synthesis of the main points & a critical essay type of discussion of given questions.
Exercises provide some hand-on experiences as related to the topic.
Discussions revolve around questions raised by instructor or students.
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 28
Term project
A term project is large, independent and term-long. The purpose of the project is for students to gain considerable knowledge and competencies in the selected topic.
Choice of three kinds of projects:
1. A comprehensive, critical evaluation and comparison of a number of digital libraries or digital library projects
2. A design proposal for a digital library for a defined constituency or for a specific digital library project, topic or service.
3. An implementation of a digital library prototype for a small digital library, or a specific DL function
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 29
Deriving generalizations
• Suggest here a model of digital libraries based on users & use
• All users have their own context, and task for use of a digital library
• All digital libraries also involve a context (economic, legal, social, cultural) – assumed here, not shown
• All digital libraries also involve a technical infrastructure – assumed here not shown
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 30
A model for a digital library course & education
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 31
seeking inf
d-lib
rary
Conceptscollection
organization
services
preservation
evaluation; outcomes
users, tasks, contexts
Research & development
Conclusions
• Education in digital libraries is global• Two major tracks
– technological – infrastructure– institutional – structure
• Many librarians active participants in both– systems librarians involved most
• Today, most, if not ALL, librarians have to know about digital libraries– & have competencies to differing degrees
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 32
Conclusions …
• In education we are still struggling as to what to teach in digital libraries
• Practice is ahead of education
• Here is but one example of a set of topics for digital library education
• And possibly for librarians to consider what they have to know about digital libraries
©© 2008 Tefko Saracevic 33