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Digital Libraries

Information Systems

A digital library, also referred to as an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, a library without walls, or a digital collection, is an online database of digital resources that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital media formats, or a library accessible through the internet. Objects can consist of digitized content, such as print or photographs, as well as originally produced digital content, including word processor files or social media posts. In addition to storing content, digital libraries provide mechanisms for the organization, searching, and retrieving of content from the collection. Digital libraries can vary immensely in size and scope, and can be maintained by individuals or organizations. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks.

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
1964 1
ERIC is named as an early example predating the field's own 1990s institutional recognition (the 1994 NSF/DARPA/NASA Digital Libraries Initiative named in the same source).
Core Concern
Collecting and organizing digital resources, such as text, images and audio, so they can be discovered and accessed online. 1
Connections

Associated With

Source Wikipedia: Brewster Kahle
Databases, Fields

Digital libraries provide retrieval mechanisms over their collections, the core concern of information retrieval.

Source Digital Libraries (Wikipedia)
Source Digital Libraries (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Digital Libraries (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section, paragraph on early examples
    An early example of a digital library is the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), a database of education citations, abstracts and texts that was created in 1964 and made available online through DIALOG in 1969.
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence
    A digital library, also referred to as an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, a library without walls, or a digital collection, is an online database of digital resources that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital media formats or a library accessible through the internet.
  • Associated With: Information Retrieval, Lead section
    In addition to storing content, digital libraries provide mechanisms for the organization, searching, and retrieving of content from the collection.
  • Associated With: Vannevar Bush, History section, paragraph on Vannevar Bush and Licklider
    Vannevar Bush and J. C. R. Licklider were two pioneers who advanced this idea into contemporary technology.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Brewster Kahle
  • Associated With: Brewster Kahle, Lead paragraph
    Kahle founded the Internet Archive and co-founded Alexa Internet in 1996.
  • Associated With: Brewster Kahle, Biography section
    Kahle founded the Internet Archive (including Wayback Machine) and co-founded Alexa Internet in 1996.
View the Source
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