Electronic Communication in Digital Library

Description

Imagine accessing a library on the opposite side of the world without moving from your desk! It may seem surreal, but it is possible, thanks to the concept of a “digital library.” The advancement of information technology, digital telecommunication technology, CD-ROMs, multimedia, computer networks, the Internet, etc., has paved the way for electronic publishing and changed traditional libraries into digital libraries. ICT has transformed the way information is generated, disseminated, preserved, and made accessible with technology providing such incomparable access to digital resources and information services, digital libraries and information repositories are now worldwide accessible. It allows flexible learning and distance education access online available to users readily. Digital libraries have a tremendous capacity to store huge data, which promotes universal accessibility, protects rare books that are rapidly deteriorating due to overuse and poor storage conditions, tools for the preservation of heritage. The importance of a digital library is to provide instant access to digitized information from remote databases throughout the world. This book is designed to present a holistic view of the digital library scene and is based on evidence from examples of major digital library research projects around the globe. It is intended for students of digital librarianship and related courses in departments of information science and computer science. This book will come in handy for practitioners and researchers also, who need to get a good grasp of issues and developments in the field.