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Keywords
Digital libraries, Electronic media, Document image processing, United States of America
Abstract
This study investigates current practice in digitizing library materials in the USA. Building a good digital collection has been a common task, pervasive in all types of libraries. Digitization becomes more and more crucial, affecting libraries while they work towards becoming digital. Researchers and practitioners would like to know what practices have been developed to deal with the challenges that pose the most significant problems or concerns for libraries in digitization. Through probing some widespread issues on what materials to digitize, and the associated standards and technologies in digitization in US libraries, this survey of current literature reveals a number of prominent library digitization practices, methods and challenges, and highlights the best practices, trends and interests in library digitization pertaining to both policy and technology marketplace issues.
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Introduction
Over the past few years, library digitization has had a major impact on the library science field. From the Library of Congress to academic libraries, public libraries, special and organizational libraries, digitization is today part of the work of many libraries in the US. With more and more libraries digitizing their collections, policy concerns and technology problems surrounding digitization are becoming increasingly paramount. According to a Institute of Museum and Library Services survey (IMLS, 2001), one third of academic libraries and a quarter of public libraries are involved in digitization efforts; however, many of these libraries do not have policies to control the format and execution of such efforts. The report suggests that libraries need to implement policies regarding the standards, preservation, and selection of digitized material. Technologically, several thousand libraries have mounted digital library files that are not compatible, cross-searchable, nor, in many cases, easily integrated (Walker, 2003). Researchers and practitioners would like to know what practices have been developed to deal with the challenges posed by library digistization.
In late 2003 and early 2004, the author, as instructor for the "Digital Libraries" and other related courses at the School of Communication, Information and Library Science of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), in conjunction with...