[15418] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: DIGITAL LIBRARY
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (George Blevins)
Mon Jun 7 20:11:03 2004
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 13:57:33 -0600
From: George Blevins <gilpinlib@CO.GILPIN.CO.US>
In-reply-to: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0405241749260.22525@well.com>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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If you assume that the term 'library' is already defined, then a digital
library would be any library or portion of a library in which the
information is translated to, transferred within and translated from a
binary information storage system. What fails in that definition?
At 03:41 PM 6/3/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>Digital Library definition: things digital calling themselves
>"libraries", plus things librarianly calling themselves "digital"...
>
>The lack of precise definition is no barrier to development,
>though. For many years some of the greatest and oldest
>"libraries" have contained a variety of objects, and offered a
>variety of services, far greater than offered by most.
>
>The British Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, for
>example, have had great collections of maps and globes and
>manuscripts and much "realia", etc., for centuries. Newer
>databanks, and databases, expand their offerings and services
>greatly now. Restricting any of these to precise definitions, too
>early in their development, would restrict that development.
>
>So we are stuck with imprecise definition. It is no more
>imprecise, however, than "libraries" always have had. Sometimes
>defining a thing freezes it in time, and makes it less useful. I
>would leave it a fluid and expanding concept, for now.
>
>
>Jack Kessler, kessler@well.com
>
>On Sun, 23 May 2004, Md Sirajul Islam wrote:
>
> > Hello Everyone,
> >
> > As an emerging system of libraries digital libraries may become
> > an option for many big libraries. However, the concept of the
> > Digital Library seems not very clear. While discussing with
> > many professionals I've got many different responses. I'm still
> > looking for a workable definition of the term "Digital
> > Library." Could anyone provide me with a precise definition of
> > "digital Library"?
> >
> > Thank you
> >
> >
