Digital Libraries and Information Access: Research Perspectives

Citation

Martin, N. (2013), "Digital Libraries and Information Access: Research Perspectives", Library Management, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 264-265. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121311310987

Back in 1991, a group of researchers selected the term “digital libraries” to describe (the then) emerging field of research, development and practice in this field. A large component of the preliminary research in the digital library domain was concerned with exploring real‐world needs, incorporating methods from associated arenas, and furthering a thriving research agenda. In a very basic way, digital libraries have changed the way that research and scholarship have taken place by offering the potential for 24‐hour access, unlimited by geography.

This book is a collection of chapters on digital libraries from internationally renowned authors, such as Suliman Hawamdeh, Natalie Pang, Dinesh Rathi, Ali Shiri and Tom Wilson. There are 235 pages and 15 separate chapters on the scope of current DL research themes, namely architecture, equity, technology, organisation, user interfaces, curation and social policy. Topical issues are also covered, including crowdsourced data analytics, open access, intellectual property and scientific data policy.

On a personal note, Tom Wilson is well known for his research and writing on human information behaviour. As one of the most‐cited authors in this field, I fondly recall reading numerous articles by T.D. Wilson as part of my undergraduate studies.

Interestingly, as noted by Christine L. Borgman in the foreword, the term “digital libraries” has never come into general use outside a select group of conferences and journals. Other terms utilised include cyber infrastructure and e‐research, web science and social informatics. Professor Christine Borgman is an acknowledged digital library expert and as such her foreword lends weight to the impact of this publication.

The editors, G.G. Chowdhury and Schubert Foo, are responsible for writing numerous chapters, including the introductory chapter, Chapter 4 concerning information access, and the final chapter that explores research trends in digital libraries. As noted by another reviewer, G.G. Chowdhury is an information science academic, and is the author of several books for Facet, including Introduction to Digital Libraries (2003). This new publication is a worthwhile addition to the scholarly publications on this rapidly expanding topic.

In particular, I enjoyed the chapter by Chowdhury and Foo on the subject of digital libraries and open access. This chapter explores the issues of open access and institutional repositories in the context of open access digital libraries.

In May 2012 I started in a fixed‐term contract position at Macquarie University, my first foray into academic librarianship. As such, the topic of digital libraries and institutional repositories is of personal interest to me (and one of the reasons I chose to review this publication). The open access movement and institutional repositories have openly challenged the traditional scholarly communication system, supporting a new model for scholarly communication. Indeed, it is possible for academic libraries to alleviate the conflict between these two paradigms. Institutional repositories (by their very nature) exert pressure on journal publishers to permit as much free online access to their content as economically possible.

Having worked in the public library sector for over 20 years, I am a strong advocate of life‐long learning and equity in access to information, and thus I support the Open Access movement. The library and information sector plays an important role in providing public access to networked information. Public libraries are a significant component, by ensuring that there is equity in access to information (for both educational and recreational purposes) through the provision of quality library services for all Australians.

Thus, it is the social aspects of access and equity in the digital library context that are particularly thought‐provoking. One can imagine that collaborative research is directly affected and improved by digital libraries as users can view the same file at the same time, no matter where they are in the world. As highlighted by Chowdhury and Foo (pp. 66‐7), “semantic access to digital resources through the support of rich linked metadata provides new possibilities for enhanced information browsing and knowledge discovery”.

This publication is an authoritative and truly global compilation of current research in digital libraries. It is recommended for researchers, digital library developers and practitioners. This would also be a valuable reference tool for LIS students and academics. As someone with a particular interest in e‐repositories and digital archives and currently completing an MA in Information and Knowledge Management, I am sure that I will be referring to it constantly; especially given I have chosen to undertake an elective called “Digital Libraries and Collections”.

Finally, if you are interested in this topic, I suggest you join the group called “Digital Libraries” on LinkedIn. There are over 6,500 members and this forum promotes lively debate and discussion.