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Definition and Purposes of A Digital Library

A digital library is not a single entity; it requires technology to link the resources of many. Digital library collections extend to digital artifacts that cannot be represented in printed formats. The digital library system is intended to promote the economical and efficient delivery of information to all sectors of North American society.

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662 views1 page

Definition and Purposes of A Digital Library

A digital library is not a single entity; it requires technology to link the resources of many. Digital library collections extend to digital artifacts that cannot be represented in printed formats. The digital library system is intended to promote the economical and efficient delivery of information to all sectors of North American society.

Uploaded by

CursoBD2008
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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[Berkeley Digital LibrarySunSITE]

Definition and Purposes of a Digital Library

Association of Research Libraries


October 23, 1995

Definition

There are many definitions of a "digital library." Terms such as


"electronic library" and "virtual library" are often used synonymously. The
elements that have been identified as common to these definitions[1] 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 represented or
distributed in printed formats.

Purposes

The purposes of a North American digital library system[2] are:

* to expedite the systematic development of: the means to collect,


store, and organize information and knowledge in digital form; and of
digital library collections in North America;
* to promote the economical and efficient delivery of information to all
sectors of North American society;
* to encourage co-operative efforts which leverage the considerable
investment in North American research resources, computing and
communications network;
* to strengthen communication and collaboration between and among the
research, business, government, and educational communities;
* to take an international leadership role in the generation and
dissemination of knowledge in areas of strategic importance to North
America;
* to contribute to the lifelong learning opportunities of all North
Americans.

[1] See: Drabenstott, Karen M. Analytical review of the library of the


future, Washington, DC: Council Library Resources, 1994.

[2] Adapted from The CAN-LINKED Initiative, a proposal for the co-ordinated
development of a distributed national digital library system in Canada,
prepared by a group of academic and research libraries. February, 1995.

-------------------

Association of Research Libraries


October 23, 1995

Copyright © Association of Research Libraries 1995. All rights reserved.


Document maintained at http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/ARL/definition.html by
the SunSITE Manager.
Last update 1/10/96. SunSITE Manager: [email protected]

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