Usability evaluation of digital libraries: a tutorial

This one-day tutorial is an introduction to usability evaluation for Digital Libraries. In particular, we will introduce Claims Analysis. This approach focuses on the designers’ motivations and reasons for making particular design decisions and examines the effect on the user’s interaction with the system. The general approach, as presented by Carroll and Rosson(1992), has been tailored specifically to the design of digital libraries. Digital libraries are notoriously difficult to design well in terms of their eventual usability. In this tutorial, we will present an overview of usability issues and techniques for digital libraries, and a more detailed account of claims analysis, including two supporting techniques – simple cognitive analysis based on Norman’s ‘action cycle’ and Scenarios and personas. Through a graduated series of worked examples, participants will get hands-on experience of applying this approach to developing more usable digital libraries. This tutorial assumes no prior knowledge of usability evaluation, and is aimed at all those involved in the development and deployment of digital libraries

Digital library research : current developments and trends

This column gives an overview of current trends in digital library research under the following headings: digital library architecture, systems, tools and technologies; digital content and collections; metadata; interoperability; standards; knowledge organisation systems; users and usability; legal, organisational, economic, and social issues in digital libraries

Biblioteki cyfrowe na świecie – powstanie i rozwój

The article contains a brief overview of the history of digital libraries in the world. It includes 5 parts: 1 Introduction; 2 The first trials and experiments; 3 Research, development and evolution of digital libraries 1994-2001; 4 Digital libraries after 2002. Present; 5. Future developmen

Bridging the gap between digital libraries and e-learning

Digital Libraries (DL) are offering access to a vast amount of digital content, relevant to practically all domains of human knowledge, which makes it suitable to enhance teaching and learning. Based on a systematic literature review, this article provides an overview and a gap analysis of educational use of DLs.The research work presented in this paper is partially supported by the FP7 Grant 316087 AComIn ”Advanced Computing for Innovation”, funded by the European Commission in the FP7 Capacity Programme in 2012-2016.peer-reviewe

User Studies for Digital Library Development

As the information environment becomes increasingly electronic, digital libraries have proliferated, but the focus has often been on innovations in technology and not the user. Research and analysis of users is essential to fine-tune the content and approach of digital libraries to the diverging requirements and expectations of incredibly varied communities and to ensure libraries are effective, accessible and sustainable in the long term. This book provides a clear overview of the user studies domain and user issues in digital libraries

Are Research Libraries in India prepared in Digital Age?

The steady growth of digital information (Lyman and Hal 2003) as a component of major research collections has significant implications for research libraries. The collection of digital resources as well as access through network by research libraries are increasing day by day. Digital Libraries (DLs) are broadly recognized as a key component in the Global Information Infrastructure (Borgman 2000) - a means of sharing information and knowledge between and among the research, business, government, and educational communities. But how far the research libraries in India adopted and adapting this new technology to realize the “anytime, anywhere” access to information of digital libraries? This article presents an overview of the difficulties facing by the research libraries in India as well as their roles in the present chaotic situation of managing more hybrid and distributed collection of both physical and digital materials

Administration and Management of Digital Libraries: An Overview

This paper examined administration and management of digital libraries: an overview. The concept management was clearly defined and explained in the context of the work; thereafter the term digital library was explained succinctly as an age that is characterized by efficient and effective conversion, storage, diffusion and dissemination of data to users. The various services that are performed in the digital environment were listed as follows: Circulation Services (Reader Services); Serial Services; Electronic Library Services; Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC )Services. Social Media. In the context of this study, some difficulties that prevent a digital library from operating smoothly include: Librarians lacking the necessary abilities to successfully handle these services; inadequate cash provided by the university administration to purchase the required equipment; attitude issue with librarians still favoring the traditional method of service delivery over change; Lack of maintenance culture: Lack of maintenance culture is one of the biggest challenges to maintaining university libraries in the digital world. This attribute is not only associated with libraries but also with the Nigerian government and elites. The management of university libraries in digital libraries becomes challenging without the maintenance culture spirit; Insecurity in the face of advancing information technology: Confidence is necessary for managing people and physical resources efficiently in university libraries. The library manager must be up to date on contemporary advances in order to manage university libraries in a digital environment with strong confidence. In the face of advancing information technology, many librarians lack confidence; No clearly defined ICT Policy

Moving Target: Academic Library Design and Services in Response to Evolving Technologies and Student Expectations

This article provides a brief overview of several current trends in academic library design, a description of several paradigms for library services, and a discussion of the impact on library design of evolving technologies and changing student expectations for library resources and services. The article explores opportunities and challenges that new technologies provide and the impact of the digital environment on academic libraries and the learning experience of students. Observations from a focus group and site visits to six academic libraries constructed, renovated or planned within the past five years provide examples of factors influencing library design and address both positive and negative outcomes of various designs

Can I Get That Video Delivered in Streaming Format?: Traversing the Obstacles of Educational Media

Transitioning from physical format to digital delivery of educational media collections creates a set of complex challenges that few libraries have mastered. This presentation will provide an introductory overview of streaming video, some of the common models utilized at various academic and public libraries, with discussion on recent initiatives in the University of Minnesota Libraries to expand this capacity through licensing content and promotion of exemplar open digital video collections. This presentation will also provide examples of some of the pedagogical benefits of integrating digital video into the classroom, such as the flipped classroom model

The Físchlár digital library: networked access to a video archive of TV news

This paper presents an overview of the Físchlár digital library, a collection of over 300 hours of broadcast TV content which has been indexed to allow searching, browsing and playback of video. The system is in daily use by over 1,500 users on our University campus and is used for teaching and learning, for research, and for entertainment. It is shortly to be made available to University libraries elsewhere in Ireland. The infrastructure we use is a Gigabit ETHERNET backbone and a conventional web browser for searching and browsing video content, with a browser plug-in for streaming video. As well as providing an overview of the system, the paper concentrates on the complimentary navigation techniques of browsing and searching which are supported within Físchlár