Digital Futures: Strategies for the Information Age

Citation

Hodes, J. (2002), "Digital Futures: Strategies for the Information Age", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 462-462. https://doi.org/10.1108/lht.2002.20.4.462.1

This book comprehensively examines the development of the digital library though an exploration of issues involved in the digitisation of library materials. The authors are eminently qualified for this purpose. Dr Marilyn Deegan is digital resources director of the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University, and Simon Tanner is a senior consultant for the Higher Education Digitisation Service at the University of Hertfordshire. There is an excellent strategic analysis of the issues involved, and the benefits and pitfalls surrounding the digital library. The authors believe that digital libraries are not a cure‐all or even a replacement for existing libraries, and that a hybrid library will be the most likely model in future. In support of their argument they pertinently remind us that libraries have long been hybrid in nature, with different print formats, multimedia, etc.

The ten chapters cover all the major issues:

1. 1.

   (1) an introduction that sets the scene and explains the development of digitisation within the information technology and electronic library context;

2. 2.

   (2) the rationale for digitising collections;

3. 3.

   (3) developing digital collections;

4. 4.

   (4) economic factors;

5. 5.

   (5) resource discovery, including metadata;

6. 6.

   (6) developing and designing systems for sharing digital resources, including the thorny issues of standards;

7. 7.

   (7) mechanisms for end‐user access, including portals;

8. 8.

   (8) preservation;

9. 9.

   (9) digital librarians; and

10. 10.

    (10) the future of digitisation.

There is a comprehensive bibliography with numerous URL links, an excellent glossary and a comprehensive index.

This book is timely, informative and important. The key issues are clearly and succinctly presented, providing an excellent introduction to the digital library. However, this field is developing so quickly, and conceptual frameworks relating to digital library planning and implementation evolving so rapidly, that it should be utilised in conjunction with the relevant journal literature, and more recent information available through the Internet. This book is not a manual on how to digitise, so those interested in the technical and operational aspects involved in the digitisation of library materials will need to look elsewhere. For all other librarians and library administrators Digital Futures is highly recommended.