About the Book
Digital Libraries: Policy, Planning and Practice brings together a wealth of international experience in the planning and implementation of digital and hybrid library projects, providing a stimulating and informative handbook and reference for library staff and information managers. It consists of chapters contributed by leading specialists from Europe, North America, South Africa and the Middle East, who offer their insight into the decision-making processes that have shaped a variety of different digitization programmes. Beginning with introductory overviews of the digital library context, the US Digital Library Program and the UK e-lib and hybrid library programmes, Digital Libraries then divides into two main sections on policy and planning, and implementation and practice. The first explores concerns such as financial and resource planning, digitized compared to born-digital content and related service issues, open access to scholarly research archives, policies for and against preservation and their justification, and evaluating electronic information services. The second section is based on case studies on major European and North American digital library projects, including the Glasgow Digital Library, UCEEL (University of Central England Electronic Library), the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (discussed in the context of five international projects), the Indiana University music Variations and Variations2 Project, and the beginnings of the Library of Congress digital program and its integration into core library services. The concluding chapter discusses the way forward for digital libraries in the context of experiences at Tilburg University library, and possible enabling or limiting factors in the future. The result of drawing together these varied and illuminating experiences is a book that offers useful information and comparisons for all digital library project staff, institutional administrators, educators and developers of learning technology. It also provides useful pointers for researchers and project staff involved in archive and museum projects, as well as introducing students to the key ingredients of successful digital libraries.
Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction, Judith Andrews and Derek Law; United States federal support for digital library research and its implications for digital library development, William H. Mischo; eLib in retrospect: a national strategy for digital library developments in the 1990s, Stephen Pinfield. Policy and Planning: How to pay for digital libraries, Mike Lesk; Content and services issues for digital libraries, Derek Law; Open access to peer-reviewed research through author/institution self-archiving: mazimizing research impact by maximizing online access, Stevan Harnad; Issues of policy and practice in digital preservation, Susan S. Lazinger; Evaluating electronic information services, Pete Dalton, Stella Thebridge and Rebecca Hartland-Fox. Implementation and Practice: Building a digital library in 80 days: the Glasgow experience, Alan Dawson; The development of UCEEL: a digital library for the University of Central England, Chris Dodd and Judith Andrews; Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Edward A. Fox, Gail McMillan, Hussein Suleman, Marcos Gonçalves and Ming Luo; The Variations and Variations2 digital library projects at Indiana University, Jon W. Dunn, Mary Wallace Davidson, Jan R. Holloway and Gerald Bernbom; Beyond bricks and mortar: building a digital library at the Library of Congress, Diane Kresh. The Way Ahead: After the digital library decade: where are the next frontiers for library innovation?, Mel Collier; Bibilography; Index.
About the Author :
Judith Andrews is Director of Library Services at the University of Central England, Birmingham, UK, and Director of the UCEEL Project (the University of Central England Electronic Library). Professor Derek Law is Head of the Information Resources Directorate at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, and has been associated with the development of networked information services at national level for over a decade. Judith Andrews, Derek Law, William H. Mischo, Stephen Pinfield, Mike Lesk, Stevan Harnad, Susan S. Lazinger, Pete Dalton, Stella Thebridge, Rebecca Hartland-Fox, Alan Dawson, Chris Dodd, Edward A. Fox, Gail McMillan, Hussein Suleman, Marcos Goncalves, Ming Luo, ,Jon W. Dunn, Mary Wallace Davidson, Jan R. Holloway, Gerald Bernbom, Diane Kresh, Mel Collier .
Review :
’The editors have brought together many of the top theorists and practitioners in the development and deployment of digital libraries. There are authoritative contributions on the early development of digital libraries, analysis of the key policies issues, and critical appraisal of the implementation of workplace digital library services. Anyone interested in digital libraries will find this a very stimulating volume.’ Michael Breaks, Heriot Watt University,UK '... an excellent choice for all LIS professionals and managers involved in digital and hybrid library practices who expect to learn from the experiences of others. It is also an excellent choice for all LIS educators specialising in this field and post-graduate students who need an overview of developments, practical realities and expectations of the future. Digital Libraries: Policy Planning and Practice concludes with a very useful and extensive bibliography. It is highly recommended to its intended audience, and is considered good value for money.' The Electronic Journal, June 2005 ’...useful...the editors have put together an interesting mix of papers, from an international perspective, discussing different strands of planning and managing digital libraries....the real weight of the book is in the case studies...a practical work...’ Library and Information Update ’While reading, I was already marking the book with my notes not for this review buut for my courses in Information Management.’ Information Research Dec 2004 '...a useful reference source, providing insights from real-life projects that have been implemented in North America, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.' Library Management, Vol 29, 2008
