WMES3103 :
INFORMATION
RETRIEVAL
WEEK 13
DIGITAL LIBRARIES
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Go to the Internet
Use a good search engine
Look for DIGITAL LIBRARIES
Definition –
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/ARL/definition.htm
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DIGITAL LIBRARY
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New area – emerged in the US in the 1990s
Various names to imply the same entity
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Digital library - dLib
Electronic library – eLib
Virtual library
Different perceptions
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As an international entity – encompasses every information
source available on the Internet
As an institutional project
Information sources available on the Internet only
Internet + CD-ROMs & other local networked resources 3
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DL – considers information sources available
on the Internet
DL – a compilation of materials published
electronically and those converted to digital
form – questions – what should be digitised,
how to do it, quality, cost
Definition – various – takes into account
storage and dissemination of information in
electronic format
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Definition and Purposes of a Digital Library
Association of Research Libraries :October 23, 1995
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Definition
The elements that have been identified as common to these
definitions are:
 The digital library is not a single entity;
 The digital library requires technology to link the resources
of many;
 The linkages between the many digital libraries and
information services are transparent to the end users;
 Universal access to digital libraries and information services
is a goal;
 Digital library collections are not limited to document
surrogates: they extend to digital artifacts that cannot be
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represented or distributed in printed formats.
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DLs are constructed – collected and organized – by a
community of users. Their functional capabilities
support the information needs and uses of that
community. DL is an extension, enhancement, and
integration of a variety of information institutions as
physical places where resources are selected,
collected, organized, preserved and accessed in
support of a user community.
Baker, J. www.gslis.ucla.edu/DL/ Jan 1996
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Digital libraries basically store materials in
electronic format and manipulate large
collections of those materials effectively.
http://dli.grainger.uiuc.edu/glossary.htm Jan
2002
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Provides access to documents in various languages
Provides access to documents in various forms
Various DL integrated to form a global or universal
DL
DL encompasses various aspects of computing –
database management, human-computer interaction,
information science, library science, multimedia
language and system, networking, communications
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The information retrieval component is
important in DL
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To ensure effectiveness of use
To ensure ease of use
DL must support a large collection of
documents, searching, cataloging / indexing
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Problems
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A system / software that can integrate various DL
Payment – required or not required ? Mode of payment?
Searching for sources in languages other than English
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Normally developed by an institution
Initial – Core Project – prototype of an ELib using journal
articles – chemistry – full-text of article – create an index
for searching – build seraching mechanisms eg. Boolean
operators – add documents – testing of various interfaces
ENVISION project – 1991
Digital Libraries Initiative – 1994-1998 - 6 universities in
America – each one studies a different component of
ELib – all 6 integrated at the end of the project – focus =
document collection, searching, interface
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Sometimes developed by a country – history,
culture, achievements
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Europe – ERCIM
UK – eLib Initiative
New Zealand
Australia
Singapore
Malaysia ????
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MALAYSIA
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Projects from government and nongovernment agencies
Smart school, ejournal (UKM, UM, UUM,
dll), CLJ Online
Academic libraries – cyber or digital
Should be centralised at one agency
MIMOS? MDC? Perpustakaan Negara
Malaysia?
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Example : FSKTM –3181 & 3182 projects
History
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E-history book - 1
E-history workbook - 1
E-conference proceedings - 1
E-historical buildings - 4
E-historical personalities - 2
Interface - 1
Query - 1
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DIGITAL OR NOT DIGITAL?
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Pustaka Maya Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong - HUKM
Perpustakaan Digital Siti Hasmah – MMU
Perpustakaan Sultanah Zahariah – UTM –
eIlmu
MIMOS Digital Library http://www.digilib.mimos.my/
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