Digital Libraries

1
Digital Libraries

• Lillian N. Cassel
• Fall 2006

2
A digital library

• An informal definition of a digital library is a
  managed collection of information, with
  associated services, where the information is
  stored in digital formats and accessible over a
  network. --
• Wm Arms, Digital Libraries, 1999
• A focused collection of digital objects,
  including text, video, and audio, along with
  methods for access and retrieval, and for
  selection, organization, and maintenance of the
  collection. --
• Witten and Bainbridge, How to Build a Digital
  Library 2003

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Overview of this course

• This course is about presentation of information
  on the Web, with special attention to Digital
  Libraries.
• Required coursework will include
• Readings, discussion (in class and online), and
  projects. There will be no examinations, unless
  circumstances indicate a need for one.
• Find course materials in WebCT
• New version this semester with a lot of new
  features. Let me know if something does not work
  correctly.

4
Goals for Class 1

• Introduce the concept of a digital library
• Introductions Who are we and what do we want to
  achieve in this class?
• Review the course structure
• Look at WebCT
• Describe assignments, projects to be expected
• Look at the calendar
• Introduce some tools -- cmap and furl

5
Some tools - concept maps

• Concept Maps
• A graphical representation of concepts, ideas,
  topics, entities and relationships among them.
• A useful tool cmap from IHMC
• See http//cmap.ihmc.us/
• Explore the cmap page, including a concept map
  about concept maps
• Do a pencil paper concept map on a subject of
  interest to your group -- a sport, a season of
  the year, a career interest, whatever. Use at
  least 20 nodes. We will look at a selection of
  these and offer suggestions.

6
Some tools Furl

• Frame URL -- a tool to archive any page you find
  and might want to remember and search.
• Allows you to create a personal archive.
• Provides the ability to search in your archive,
  share it with others
• http//www.furl.net/home.jsp
• Lets furl some web pages in a category.

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What is a library?

• An active exercise to explore what we know about,
  and think about, traditional libraries.
• How do we translate these characteristics to the
  digital world?
• Is that the right model? Are we unnecessarily
  constraining the digital environment? Are there
  things that do not translate?

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Class 1 summary

• Course plan described and discussed
• Class members surveyed
• Tools -- cmap and furl -- introduced
• Concept mapping practiced
• The idea of a library, and of a digital library,
  explored.
• Teams formed

9
Next week

• Check the calendar
• Readings and an assignment due
• The 5 S model for digital libraries (and other
  information retrieval systems)
• Introduction to the hardware and software systems
  to be used for projects.