Search results

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 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 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.

The practical issues associated with digitisation in the hybrid library context are discussed, based on work undertaken by the BUILDER Project in delivering two products: a pilot Electronic Key Texts service and a digital back‐run of the scholarly journal Midland History from 1971‐1998. In analysing document attributes, digitisation options, archival and delivery formats and detailing specific costs, there are two key lessons identified. Firstly, that scanning is only one stage in a complex workflow of inter‐related activities involved in delivering a digital resource; and secondly that costs need to be monitored as these can accrue very quickly due to the intensive use of staff resource involved in developing digitisation products. It rests with library managers to define where digitisation fits into their institutions, if at all, based on local needs and the collections they manage.

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.

This study investigates current practice in digitizing library materials in the USA. Building a good digital collection has been a common task, pervasive in all types of libraries. Digitization becomes more and more crucial, affecting libraries while they work towards becoming digital. Researchers and practitioners would like to know what practices have been developed to deal with the challenges that pose the most significant problems or concerns for libraries in digitization. Through probing some widespread issues on what materials to digitize, and the associated standards and technologies in digitization in US libraries, this survey of current literature reveals a number of prominent library digitization practices, methods and challenges, and highlights the best practices, trends and interests in library digitization pertaining to both policy and technology marketplace issues.

Intent on creating a distributed national digital library, the German Research Foundation has funded Göttingen University Library's establishment of a Centre for Retrospective Digitisation of library materials. The Centre is engaged in evaluation of tools and techniques for image capture and text conversion, bibliographic description, document management and the provision of remote access. Current projects include the digitisation of important historical collections of Americana and mathematical yearbooks.

This paper opens the debate on the contribution that libraries can, and might, make to their environment.

Analyses libraries' explicit commitment to environmental issues in their public statements. Suggests that they may be lagging behind major businesses. Challenges for libraries in relation to environmental management are discussed both in relation to strategic and policy issues, and in relation to the issues posed by digitization of information resources.

This paper finds that libraries' commitment to environmental issues is significant but implicit rather than explicit and there is scope for more coordinated debate, policy‐making and actions in this arena, especially in the face of some of the challenges that digitization poses.

The information contained in this article will be of interest to those involved in library management and specifically those committed to environmental issues.

Aims to present issues related to digitization in the context of the historical role and purpose of academic special collections.

Presents a comparison of current issues related to digitization to historical issues related to the management of traditional print special collections.

The current issues are not new. Technology has not dramatically altered the role of special collections in academic libraries.

Based on personal observation and experience and an awareness of issues, but essentially a personal viewpoint.

May provide non‐special collections librarians with a better understanding of, or different perspective on, the popular notion of “digitizing special collections” and of special collections historically and generally.

This is the viewpoint of an experienced head of special collections, a trained academic historian, and someone who has been involved in a number of digital projects.

The purpose of this paper is to study the readiness of academic researchers in history in Moroccan universities to change their habits and ways of accessing old manuscript collections from direct access to on/offline access to digitized versions of the same documents.

A survey was conducted with a sample population of about 30 researchers, both students and teachers. This survey used a questionnaire distributed directly.

This user study came to the conclusion that though people appreciate the possible existence of a digital library for manuscripts (on‐ or offline), they have some hesitation to use it solely because they are afraid of losing a precious and fruitful human interaction with the private holders of manuscript collections.

The study is considered as a basis for future studies that could enhance the concepts and the methods. The limitations in this research are mainly due to the local scope of the survey.

The survey is unique in the sense that it is the first one. The manuscripts have been studied previously at several levels except a user needs perspective.