University of Technology, Sydney

Staff directory | Campus maps | Newsroom | What's on

57135 Digital Libraries and Collections

UTS: Communication
Credit points: 6 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 57136 Web-based Information Design

Handbook description

This subject focuses on digital information resources and services and virtual collection building and management. The student is introduced to the role and functions of new and emerging technologies associated with the virtual library or digital library environment like electronic journals, electronic repositories and web-based digital information resources and services. Topics covered by this subject include virtual information system coordination and management and principles of collection building and management in electronic environments. Issues related to the development of digital information collections, such as access versus ownership, resourcing and legal issues, are also addressed.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:

  1. understand and apply client-centred concepts and principles in the management of traditional and digital information resources and services
  2. analyse policies, practices, and standards related to content development and management in traditional and digital environments
  3. identify and apply principles of service design for virtual information environments
  4. critically evaluate contemporary issues in information provision and their implications for content development, selection and management
  5. understand key aspects and trends of the information technology infrastructure and their implications for content development and management
  6. understand concepts critical to needs assessment and evaluation of virtual information collections, resources and services.

Contribution to graduate profile

Design professionals may be called upon to design and develop virtual collections which enable people to connect with, interact with and utilise a range of cultural and information products. Critical to this role is understanding how collections are developed and managed, and understanding contemporary issues in digital collections.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning strategies will focus on interactive, constructive learning. Each session will provide a range of learning activities that will integrate formal input, personal and professional experiences, discussion, reflection and action. Tutorials are designed to promote informed discussion of key issues associated with the design, uses and policies of virtual information collections and services. Contribution to tutorial discussion is valued and expected. The learning experiences available in this subject include lectures, discussion, reflection, practical computer laboratory sessions, site visits and may include guest lecturers. Assignments will be individual, group, and written. Learning will be enhanced by having opportunities to develop a range of intellectual and technical abilities. Students will also actively engage with the literature of the field, both in preparation for and reflection of each session, and as part of the assessment process. UTSOnline will be used as a tool for collaboration and discussion of the issues associated with digital libraries and virtual information collections.

Content

A case study approach will be adopted, providing real world examples of virtual library management and a means by which the rapidly changing nature of the area and aspects of current practice (as detailed below) can be examined. The case study approach will establish and elucidate the underpinning theories and principles of virtual information resources, services and their management.

  1. Making the virtual library happen: The historical development and key concepts of digital information service delivery; understanding clients, and the information environment, planning, organising, managing, evaluating, and resourcing. (Objective A)
  2. Content management: Published or known content v. creating content, selection principles and priorities, standards and formats, preservation issues, access, cross-institutional collaboration, costing models, content development and management policies. (Objective B, E)
  3. Describing and managing information: Best practice in information design, service development, interaction between content and clients, assessing client needs, interface development, metadata developments and information access. (Objective A, B, C)
  4. Technology infrastructure: Matching content with appropriate technology, how the technology determines / drives / restricts / improves content and content delivery, IT issues and challenges. (Objective E)
  5. Funding and resourcing: Changing resource mix, benchmarking, strategic alliances. (Objective B)
  6. Social aspects: Preservation and archiving heritage material, workflow implications, scholarly communications and ensuring access and equity (Objective D, F)
  7. Research and evaluation: Recognising challenges of creating and delivering digital resources and services, client and stakeholder needs and expectations, and quality improvement. (Objectives A, F)

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Collaboratory on digital library issues

Objective(s): All
Weighting: 40%
Task: Collaboratory (group, 15%, individual, 15%): Due week 7 As there are many issues in the area of digital and virtual collections, over a two week period a group, on a rotating basis, will be responsible for introducing and leading a class-wide discussion on a specific type of collection or management issue. The group responsible for the current theme will be required also to organise the contributions to the discussion into sub themes (threads) that are well labelled. Individually, you will be assessed on your participation in all the collaboratories.
Assessment criteria:
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and facilitate an online discussion
  • Ability to actively and effectively participate in a group
  • Quality of participation in the collaboratories
  • Evidence of both wide and in-depth reading
  • Evidence of good information organisation

Assessment item 2: Digital library proposal and prototype (individual and group tasks)

Objective(s): All
Weighting: 60%
Task: This assignment has two parts: a) A proposal (individual, 35%): Due week 10 A proposal for a digital library for a defined constituency or for a specific digital library project or service selected by the group. This proposal will have specific components (equally weighted), and will be assigned to individual members of the group, and will be individually assessed. However the group as a whole will need to 'sign off' on each component as the completed proposal is will be the basis on which the group prototype (Part 2 of the assessment) will be created. The specific components will include:
  • A description of the community
  • The proposed content
  • The technology issues
  • Standards to be used
  • Services to be provided
  • Structure of and access to the content
As part of the assessment each member of the group will write a report (1000 words) rationalising choices made in his/her component, with reference to the theory underpinning those choices. b) A prototype (group, 25%): Due Week 14 The prototype — implementation of the proposed digital library. The final product is a working prototype placed on a Web site, and must include a short policy document (500 words) that describes the scope of the project. The prototype will be assessed on a group basis. However the responsibilities of each member of the group must be made explicit in the prototype. The prototypes will be made 'public' for class examination and testing. This will be an opportunity for the students to apply usability criteria to the prototypes and for students and interested faculty to provide usability feedback.
Assessment criteria: Task a) - Assessment criteria
  • Demonstrated understanding of the issues of digital library development
  • Evidence of effective use of theoretical literature to support proposal specifications
  • Evidence of wide reading of the literature of digital libraries
  • Ability to present a coherent logical argument
  • Good written expression
  • Correct acknowledgement of the texts
Task b) - Assessment criteria
  • Demonstration of an ability to organise information into a logical and useful structure
  • Effectiveness of the prototyping of the proposed aims and specifications
  • Ability to integrate the theory of usability with practical applications and implications
  • Good written expression

Minimum requirements

Attendance at scheduled sessions is a requirement for satisfactory completion of this subject. Please advise the subject coordinator if unable to attend any session, or part thereof. All assessment tasks must be submitted/completed for a grade to be awarded in this subject and a satisfactory level overall is required to pass the subject.

Indicative references

Andrews, J., & Law, D. (Eds.). (2004). Digital libraries : Policy, planning, and practice. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.

Arms, W. Y. (2000, January 2003). Digital libraries (Online edition). MIT Press. Available: www.cs.cornell.edu/wya/DigLib/ [Date accessed: January 10, 2004].

Atkins, D. E., et al. (2003). Revolutionizing science and engineering through cyberinfrastructure: Report of the national science foundation blue-ribbon advisory panel on cyberinfrastructure. Available: www.communitytechnology.org/nsf_ci_report/report.pdf [Date accessed: 4 April 2004].

Barnes, S. J. (Ed.). (2004). Becoming a digital library. New York: Marcel Dekker.

Bhargava, B. (Ed.). (2000). Digital libraries and multimedia. Boston: Kluwer Academic.

Borgman, C. L. (2000). From gutenberg to the global information infrastructure: Access to information in the networked world. Cambride, Mass.: MIT Press.

Cornell University Library. (2003). Moving theory into practice: Digital imaging tutorial. Available: www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/tutorial/ [Date accessed: 30 May 2004].

Deegan, M., & Tanner, S. (2002). Digital futures : Strategies for the information age. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers Inc.

Fox, E. A. (2002). Digital libraries. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 36, 503-588.

Hughes, L. M. (2004). Digitizing collections : Strategic issues for the information manager. London: Facet Publishing.

Jones, W., Ahronheim, J. R., & Crawford, J. (Eds.). (2002). Cataloging the Web : Metadata, AACR, and MARC 21. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.

Keller, M. A., Reich, V. A., & Herkovic, A. C. (2003). What is a library anymore, anyway? First Monday, 8 (5). Available at: www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_5/keller

Larsen, R. L., & Wactlar, H. (2004). Knowledge lost in information: Report of the nsf workshop on research directions for digital libraries, june 15-17, 2003. Available: www.sis.pitt.edu/~dlwkshop/JISC/NSFreport.pdf [Date accessed: 3 April 2004].

Lesk, M. (1997). Practical digital libraries: Books, bytes, and bucks. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufman Publishers.

Lynch, C. A. (2002). Digital collections, digital libraries and the digitization of cultural heritage information. First Monday, 7 (5). Available at: www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue7_5/lynch

----. (2003). Institutional repositories: Essential infrastructure for scholarship in the digital age. ARL, February (226), 1-7. Available at: www.arl.org/newsltr/226/ir.html

McDonald, I. (2003). Libraries : Managing licences for digital resources : A practical guide. Redfern, NSW: Australian Copyright Council.

Mooney, S. (2001). Interoperability: Digital rights management and the emerging ebook environment. D-Lib Magazine, 7 (1). Available at: Available at: www.dlib.org/dlib/january01/mooney/01mooney.html

Pantry, S., & Griffiths, P. (2003). Creating a successful e-information service. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.

Sandusky, R. (2002). Digital library attributes: Framing usability research. Paper presented at the usability workshop of jcdl 2002. Available: www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/annb/DLUsability/Sandusky35.pdf [Date accessed: 16 June 2003].

Sandusky, R. J. (2002). Digital library attributes: Framing research and results. Paper presented at the Usability of Digital Libraries: A workshop at JCDL 2002. Available at: www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/annb/DLUsability/Sandusky35.pdf

Sun Microsystems. (2002). Digital library technology trends. Available: www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/edu/whitepapers/pdf/digital_library_trends.pdf [Date accessed: 17 January, 2003].

Tennant, R. (2002, 15 May). Digital libraries - metadata as if libraries depended on it. Available: www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA206408 [Date accessed: June 20, 2003].

Witten, I. H., & Bainbridge, D. (2003). How to build a digital library. San Francisco, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann.

e-journals

Ariadne www.araadne.ac.uk

DLib www.dlib.org