Department
of Library and Information Science
School of Communication, Information
and Library Studies
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Course web site: http://scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko/Courses/553/
Course listserv: lis553@scils.rutgers.edu
Tefko Saracevic
Professor II
Room 306, SCILS bldg.
(732)932-7500/ ext 8222 Fax: (732)932-6916
Email: tefko@scils.rutgers.edu
Home page: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~tefko
Michael Lesk
Email: lesk@acm.org
Conceptual, practical, and technical issues, problems and approaches to digital libraries. Overview of differing efforts, and evolving concepts and thinking in a number of fields and enterprises. Types of digital library collections. Organization, access and use of digital libraries. Technical infrastructure and processes for building digital libraries. Research projects, such as Digital Libraries Initiatives. Social and economic issues. Integration of digital and traditional resources in libraries.
Prerequisite: 17:610:550 Information Technology for Libraries and Information Agencies.
Pre-and/or co-requisite: 17:610:530 Principles of Searching.
Before the course, a student MUST have technical knowledge and competencies related to:
These topics will NOT be covered in the course, but the lectures, and exercises, and projects will be based on the assumption that a student can handle these basics. A student should not take the course till mastering the required technical basics.
These required competencies could be gained and sharpened through LIS and online tutorials as found on the Web. A list of relevant tutorials is provided on the course web site.
Each student MUST have an email address and a Web site. All students with SCILS and eden accounts may create a web page with a ~username address.
Each student MUST have a Rutgers University Library (RUL) card. For remote access, students who dial into RUL from any campus computer or from home using a Rutgers address as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) (e.g. scils, eden, rci …) have full access to all RUL services. But, students who use other ISPs, such as AOL, Yahoo, Earthlink etc. do not have a full access to all RUL services, only to some. In these cases, for remote access to full services the student has to enter RUL by proxy; this requires configuring the proxy connection on the browser (Netscape or Explorer) and using as user name the bar code from the library card and a PIN obtained from the library. Detailed instructions for remote access can be found on the RUL site: http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/. Go to: How do I?.../ ... connect from home; follow the instructions and any necessary links. How do I? ... has other instructions on the use of the library.
The course purpose is to study digital libraries. The orientation is toward providing a comprehensive understanding of a variety of concepts, practices, and technologies, as they evolved in different fields, institutions, and in research and development. The course provides a base for further and life-long education necessary to cope with the ever-changing and evolving world of digital library practice, development and research.
The objectives are for students to achieve an integrated understanding of the complex issues and problems addressed in respect to:
A. Concepts: What are digital libraries? Differing conceptions and approaches. Evolution, stakeholders and trends.
B. Content: Changing nature of the notion of a collection in a digital and networked environment.
C. Organization: Representation of digital library content; metadata.
D. Technology: Technical infrastructure for digital libraries. Interoperability.
E. Access: Alternatives in access to digital libraries. User communities and use. Evaluation.
F. Context: Economic and institutional effects. Social, ethical, and legal concerns. Research and development projects.
Introduction
1. Overview of the complex world of digital libraries, treated as themes. Historical roots. Different constituencies interested in digital libraries.
Theme A. Concepts
2. What is a digital library? What are the essential elements and relationships? What is the role of a network? Differences in definitions, expectations, constituencies, visions and realities.
Theme B. Collection
3. What is a collection in a digital library? Different types of digital collections. Electronic publishing.
4. Collection management. Development, creation, acquisition, linking, and distributed holdings of digital information resources. Reference resources. Licensing, subscriptions.
Theme C. Organization
5. Metadata. Representation of different media: text, images, sounds, multimedia.
6. Interoperability between different information resources, collections, and systems. Standards and protocols.
Theme D. Technology
7. Input: Capturing. Presentation. Digitization. Data handling.
8. Storage: Repositories. Linking.
9. Interaction: Search systems. Location systems. Interfaces.
Theme E. Access
10. Services provided. Search and navigation. Accessing networked resources. Reference services.
11. Users and user communities; access management. Usability and use studies.
12. Evaluation approaches, criteria, measures, methodologies.
Theme F. Context
13. Research projects in digital libraries. Digital Libraries Initiatives.
14. Management issues. Integration with traditional library resources. Legal, ethical, social issues.
The class is structured around five components: (i) lectures, (ii) readings, (iii) home assignments and exercises, (iv) class discussions, and (v) term project.
Groups: The students should organize themselves into study groups consisting of 4 students (+/- 1). Each group will be given a number. Within groups students should discuss readings and assignments, perform together exercises, and report to the class as a whole. The groups are intended for more intensive discussion and for exchange of experiences in exercises, readings, and possibly the final project.
A. Required Readings
Students are required to read during an assignment period (as provided in the schedule) a given set of readings consisting of journal articles, reports and/or selected chapters from books. Each assignment is given a number. A bibliography of readings is appended. Additional readings, as published, may be added or substituted. As indicated in the schedule for a specific assignment, some readings are to be summarized, others may be synthesized in an essay form, and still others read for discussion only.
B. Summaries
Each reading or a set of readings (such as several chapters from books, and journal articles) required for summary shall be briefly synthesized as to major points made and learned, and, if possible, critically reviewed. Or, instead of critical remarks one or more of the following may be indicated as related to the content of a given reading or a set of readings summarized together:
· relevant examples or extensions from personal or professional experiences;
· translation into or implications for digital libraries;
· questions for discussion; questions about clarification of contents; and/or
· relations to other courses and readings.
Higher grades are connected with the extent and quality of these additional or critical remarks.
C. Essays
For some set of readings the assignment is to write a short essay. The essay will address an assigned subject, such as addressing the question: "What is a digital library?" It allows students to use their own interpretation and understanding, as well as any other source that they may choose for illustration. It is a free form composition concentrating on a specific theme for which information can be culled from the required readings or any source.
Summaries and essays must follow the prescribed format (see instructions below). Otherwise, five points will be deducted for not following the format. Summaries and essays should be handed in as indicated in the enclosed schedule.
D. Exercises
Exercises are designed to provide practical experiences. There are two types of exercises: examination and technical. Both are performed during an assigned time period.
Group participation in exercises is encouraged. Results of exercises can be handed in as a group exercise (one for a whole group listing the names of students in the group to be credited), or individually by each student. This depends on the arrangement made by students among themselves.
In the examination exercises, the students will be assigned a given set of existing digital library sites, services, or aspects to examine, describe, and compare. The report to be handed in consists of an inventory or summary of given features, with comparisons as necessary. It could be in table or free text format, or both.
In the technical exercises, the students will be given practical assignments related to either data handling, creating a display, or providing an access or search mechanism. Ron Jantz will direct these exercises.
E. Discussions, presentation
At each class period there will be a discussion of the readings and/or discussion and presentation of home exercises. Each student or each group shall be prepared for the discussion and/or for asking and answering of questions based on the readings or experiences from exercises.
F. Term project
A term project is large, independent undertaking either by individual students or a group project. The purpose of the project is for students to gain considerable knowledge and competencies in the selected topic.
There is a choice of three kinds of projects:
Completion of the term project requires a proposal, an interim report, and a final product as indicated. Timing for each is provided in the schedule. All the final reports should include a discussion of lessons learned in the conclusion.
F. Format
The summaries, essays, and term paper must follow the standardized format as suggested by:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). (5th ed.). Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association.
The Manual can be obtained from a bookstore. It serves as a manual for other LIS and Ph.D. courses at SCILS, thus it is a valuable tool above and beyond this course. The Manual also provides useful suggestions for writing of reports and articles.
At the beginning the summaries, essays and exercises MUST contain these items (points will be deducted if not present):
(i) student’s name,
(ii) course number,
(iii) assignment or exercise number as listed in the schedule
(iv) if readings are involved, for each reading the reading number from the bibliography, and the full citation of the reading, APA style
(v) if web sources are involved the full citation in the APA format: Author. (date if given). Title. Retrieved mm/dd/yyyy from URL..
If references to other works (articles, books...) are included in the summary, essay or report, they must be properly cited in the summary, e.g. Kantor (1995). The references at the end must follow the APA style. The course bibliography is an example of the APA style. The style and form of the narrative of summaries are up to the student.
The final report must be double-spaced throughout. It must contain a title page with course number and name, title of the paper, student name(s) and address, and an abstract. The style of the narrative of the paper is up to the student. APA Manual contains suggestions on how to structure a report, and break it into sections
The course web site contains all relevant course material and a number of links to helpful sites, including to various tutorials. The class schedule, including due dates for assignments, exercises, and project, is on the course site. The students are expected to familiarize themselves with the materials on the site. Other information may be placed on the site throughout the semester.
Ahead of each class the lecture slides, exercise or other material relevant for that given class will be placed on the site. Students should download and as necessary print the material for the class before the class date and bring it to the class. These are considered class handouts, but they are on the web site and will not be distributed in class.
The final grade will be derived as follows:
Summaries and exercises ‑ 50% of grade.
Term project ‑ 50% of grade.
Students can contact instructors in person, by phone, fax, or email at addresses indicated on the cover page.
Messages for and from students to include the whole class are sent through the class listserv. Each student must subscribe to the class listserv (if not already automatically subscribed using the email address given in the registrars list). To subscribe send a message to majordomo@scils.rutgers.edu; no subject; in the message type subscribe lis553s@scils.rutgers.edu. No signatures or any other text.
Books:
Arms, W. Y. (2000). Digital libraries. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Borgman, C. (2000). From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to information in the networked world. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Lesk, M. (1997). Practical digital libraries. Books, bytes and bucks. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman.
Assignements will be chapters from these books.
Articles
In the schedule of assignments the readings are referred to by their number under Summaries - Article no. or Read only.
Articles without an URL or indication that they are on reserve can be found in the Alexander Library (and many other libraries) and/or through the RUL site http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/