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The purpose of this paper is to examine the present digitization projects in Nigerian university libraries and the challenges they pose to effective information delivery.

The research method employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. The questionnaire is the major instrument used for data collection, with observation as complimentary instrument. The respondents constitute 40 professional and para‐professional staffers drawn from both universities.

The results from the paper reveal that the libraries lack written policy on digitization, inadequate ICT infrastructures and manpower, fund, and inadequate government support. Users are not given user education/digital literacy to enable them adequately utilizing the available digitized resources and services, thus posing challenges to effective information delivery.

The paper will make for a more conscious effort in institutionalizing digital library services, formulation and implementation of digitization policies, introduction of user education/digital literacy programmes and conscious staff training programme on ICTs for university libraries in Nigeria.

The purpose of this study is to identify barriers that are hindering digitization initiatives in university libraries of Pakistan.

The study opted a mixed-methods research design based on quantitative (QUAN) and qualitative (QUAL) strands by using a survey research method. The subjects of the study were central libraries of the universities (both public and private sector) of Pakistan. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used for QUAN data collection in the QUAN strand. In the QUAL phase, in-depth interviews of purposely selected 25 library experts from different parts of the country were conducted.

Meta-inferences were drawn from the findings of both QUAN and QUAL strands. Both of the research designs provided the requisite data to answer research questions of the study. The finding revealed the barriers which were hindering the digitization activities in university libraries of Pakistan.

The findings of the study are helpful for funding bodies, university libraries and university administration. The findings are also helpful for other developing countries with similar economic and/or social landscapes.

To provide a selective bibliography of literature which explores issues and provides guidelines on library digitization projects.

Literature published from 2000‐2005 on library digitization projects was examined. Issues involving digitization projects are presented, as well as case studies and resources for digitization projects. The paper has the following sections: project management, funding digital projects, selection of materials, legal issues, metadata creation, interoperability, and preservation issues.

Libraries are undertaking digitization projects to provide wider access to and to preserve materials. The literature survey presents an overview of digitization activities and discussions of issues concerning library digital projects. The authors of the case studies detail how libraries dealt with various components of the projects, such as planning, cataloging, and handling copyright issues. Many aspects of digitization projects will be changing over time, with further research and advances in technology, and the literature on the subject bears watching in coming years.

The articles and resource guides in the literature survey can assist librarians in carrying out digitization projects in their institutions.

It explains how important issues in library digitization projects are being encountered and resolved and provides many practical guidelines and resources for librarians undertaking such projects.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the objectives, priorities and criteria of digitization. It also analyses the open access initiatives adopted by the special libraries in National Capital Region of India. The paper further examines the motivating factors of using digital resources.

The research paper is based on primary survey of librarians and users of special libraries. Weighted index has been used to analyse the factors of digitization while factor analysis is used to study the open access initiatives adopted by the libraries.

Based on the primary goal of libraries, i.e. to increase their global visibility and the ultimate purpose of such digital projects is to provide greater access to their collections to promote research activities. The paper summarizes that increased accessibility is the most preferred objective; content value is most preferred criterion for digitization. The paper further identifies factors that motivated users to use digital resources.

The availability of digital literature not only helps the local users but provides access to their resources and thus increases the visibility of these libraries globally. The revelation of special libraries to undertake such ventures is not only helpful to establish better information availability and visibility but also to maximize its value and worthiness.

Most existing studies remain on the level of collecting data and interpreting specific cases on digital conversion but this paper not only interprets the reasons of digitization but also investigates reasons of user needs by factorizing them. This paper examines the objectives, criteria and prioritization of material for digitization. It further identifies the factors motivating users to access these digital resources.

The purpose of this paper is to present the current state of digitization and digital collection development in public libraries in Croatia.

This paper is based on an online survey of public libraries in Croatia on digital collection development and digitization. In total, 165 public libraries were invited to participate in the survey, and Web survey was chosen as the most appropriate tool for surveying geographically dispersed libraries.

The findings indicate that public libraries in Croatia have taken steps towards enlargement of digital content in their holdings by digitizing their existing library collections. Although the number of digital collections in public libraries in Croatia is still rather small, it is expected that it will increase in the near future. It is also encouraging that public libraries started digitization projects on their own, thus gaining the necessary experience and skills that would help them and other libraries in future digitization projects. Still, they need additional education about digital collection development and process of library material digitization.

The paper article contributes to the growing body of knowledge about digital collections development and digitization in public libraries, as well as about benefits digital collections can provide for libraries in general.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of digitisation practices at the National Library of Australia Document Supply Service, its convergence with similar efforts in the Library's Digitisation and Photography Branch, and how the Library used Relais to manage and report on its digitisation activities.

The authors use a case study approach and their own personal experiences with implementing these services.

Digitisation based on ILL/DD user demand contributes to building a library's digital collections and helps to preserve valuable collections. Libraries are encouraged to seize opportunities that help to achieve its strategic goals, experiment with new and different approaches and technologies, persevere in the face of obstacles or slow uptake of ideas and solutions, and never stop looking for opportunities to improve user services.

This paper was originally presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress, 79th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, 17-23 August 2013, Singapore, Session 200, “Strengthening Access to Information: The Future of Resource Sharing”.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how one relatively small public library, limited in funds and resources, managed to cope with the challenges of digitization of audiovisual material related to local heritage. The paper will also tackle the problem of preservation of information on obsolete media and their digitization in an effort of preserving one important part of the cultural legacy of the twentieth century, which is in danger of being lost due to technology advancement or human negligence.

The author will describe one possible solution of obtaining audiovisual material in libraries and its digitization through established public‐private partnership between the Public Library in Čačak and private enterprise sector, or more precisely between Library's Digitization Centre and a local TV station. This partnership forced librarians to introduce new technologies, equipment and practice in their everyday work, to be able to successfully answer challenges of digitization and preservation of audiovisual material.

The public libraries should pay attention to their old collections of audio tapes, VHS, Betamax and other media nowadays out of usage, as well as to other audiovisual collections important for the local heritage kept under the auspices of institutions and individuals in the community.

There are not many papers dealing with the described issues of digitization of audiovisual material in public libraries. This paper could be of use for many smaller cultural and memory institutions throughout the world.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate current approaches to assessing digitisation activities in memory institutions.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of digitisation surveys were performed. Analysis concentrated on several themes: general methodological solutions, digitisation objectives, users and usage of digitised content, budgeting and costs of digitisation, and volume and growth of digitised collections.

Analysis revealed an absence of sound methodology solutions, issues of constructing a sample, the split between strategic and resource management approaches to digitisation, low visibility of user related evaluation criteria, and problems in developing quantitative measures.

Approaches to evaluating digitisation are not restricted to digitisation surveys and to provide a more comprehensive analysis these should be complemented by other data (e.g. interviews of digitisation experts). The identification of surveys was limited by subjective factors such as knowledge of national experts, visibility of reports on the web, and language of publication.

The paper assists in the development of digitisation surveys by highlighting previous gaps and achievements.

The paper is a first attempt to comprehend approaches to monitoring digitisation internationally. Gaps and issues identified in the research can guide studies on developing indicators and measures for specific digitisation activities.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the current digitization levels of Korean libraries by identifying key elements of library services and measuring them for conventional vs digital approaches and use.

The study utilized previous research related to digital libraries and consultations with experts to arrive at 13 evaluation elements and components within them to analyze. For the purpose of this study specialized libraries, college and university libraries, and public libraries were surveyed, and their responses analyzed to rate their current digitization levels vs more conventional approaches.

First, after determining the elements that characterized the conventional and digital libraries by analyzing different pieces of literature and consulting with experts, 92 factors were identified for each of the conventional and digital elements based on the axis which was composed of 13 items. Second, this study indicated that the libraries obtained one of the conventional or digital characteristics independent of the situation, rather than that the digital library was more effective than the conventional library. Third, in evaluating the chosen libraries used as the examples, it was observed that the libraries had more conventional characteristics among the elements of the digital and conventional libraries. Also, based on the axis used for comparison of 13 items, elements such as the next generation service, the SNS service, and the library program service were more conventional, but elements such as classification and cataloging, acquisition, and the organization were more digitized.

This study is the first study in the world to measure the level of digitization of the library. Therefore, hereafter, each library will be able to measure and determine its digital position based on these elements. Up to now, some research was performed in pursuit of extracting the elements of a library but it had relied solely on literature review. Comprehensive research had never been performed as in this study.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the emergence of digital reformatting as a technique for preserving information within the cultural heritage preservation community by reviewing historical trends in modern preservation research.

This paper analyzes secondary sources, reviews and historical texts to identify trends in the intellectual and technological histories of preservation research, beginning with the first applications of the scientific method to combating book decay in the early nineteenth to the emergence of digitization techniques in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

This paper identifies five major historical periods in the development of preservation knowledge: the early experimental era; era of microfilm experimentation; era of professionalization; era of digital library research; and the era of digital reformatting and mass digitization; and identifies three major trends in its development: empirical inquiry, standardization and centralization.

Findings reflect broad trends in the field of preservation, primarily in a United States context and are limited to the modern era of preservation research.

This paper's broad historical overview provides a reference for preservation professionals and students in library science or archives programs. Identifying historical trends enables practitioners to critically examine their own preservation techniques and make better decisions when adopting and using new preservation technologies.

This paper provides a unique perspective on the history of preservation knowledge that synthesizes existing historical research in order to identify periods and trends that enable a clearer understanding of digital reformatting in its historical emergence.