Digital libraries: philosophies, technical design considerations and example scenarios.

Digital libraries: philosophies, technical design considerations and example scenarios. Stern, D, ed Digital libraries: philosophies, technical designconsiderations and example scenarios. New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Haworth Press, 1999.230p US$49.95 hard ISBN ISBNabbr.International Standard Book NumberISBNInternational Standard Book NumberISBNn abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m078900769X (also published as Science andTechnology Libraries 17, 3/4) DAVID STERN, DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SERVICES See Information Systems. AT YALE, presents a timely and useful collection of papers on crucialelements of the digital library. The book is arranged in three parts:philosophies, technical design, scenarios. A succinct introduction byStem defines the digital library and provides selected references andrelevant URLs. The following chapters discuss the organisation andnature of digital libraries and the change to a new paradigm New ParadigmIn the investing world, a totally new way of doing things that has a huge effect on business.Notes:The word "paradigm" is defined as a pattern or model, and it has been used in science to refer to a theoretical framework. ofdigitised library operations, from collection development to evaluationprocedures. The authors, in clear language and with generous footnotesand illustrations, explain the basics of the emerging digital library,from new standards for displaying data on the web (XML XMLin full Extensible Markup Language.Markup language developed to be a simplified and more structural version of SGML. It incorporates features of HTML (e.g., hypertext linking), but is designed to overcome some of HTML's limitations. ) and ways to makeinterface design improve search and navigation techniques, topost-search relevance analysis. Such developments will continue to savelibrarians and their clients time, broaden knowledge vistas and evencreate new research areas. Outstanding problems also are identified. Forinstance, Stem points to the need for both improved filters to manageinformation overload and cross-database searching standards. Other issues covered include the development of loose federationsto combine object technology with client-server architecture to unitemultiple heterogeneous databases, and the benefits of SGML SGMLin full Standard Generalized Markup LanguageMarkup language for organizing and tagging elements of a document, including headings, paragraphs, tables, and graphics. and XML forsearching data and moving towards seamless integration of informationresources and services. The limitations of HTML-based informationretrieval in searching multiple databases is contrasted with IODyne, ahighly flexible object-oriented information retrieval client that allowsusers to view databases and queries as objects and combine or share atwill. Information system interface designs are becoming far moreinteractive, presenting not just text but also allowing users to employa range of `sensorial' modes of understanding to locateinformation. The final section of the book consists of a shortdescription of digitisation of geodata (maps) and patents. What are the implications of the digital library for librarians?They must be well-versed in technology and have a good grasp of legalmatters such as licences for e-resources. They need to develop greaterco-operation with other information specialists and wider collectiondevelopment skills. And maintain their critical thinking skills. Whilst focused on science libraries, this volume will repay a readby librarians in every sphere of contemporary libraries. All librariansneed to appreciate the growing digitisation of collection development,information retrieval, and other library operations. It also will serveas a good introduction to the subject in library schools. There isnothing new in the authors' assertions that the digital librarywill emphasise access, not acquisition, nor that e-resources presentadded dimensions to traditional collection development. However, thisbook offers a nice balance between concise, practical advice on andexamples of new technology and current trends, and deeper philosophicalissues that librarians increasingly must address. Peter Limb, University of Western Australia