Digital libraries

Kouis Dimitris, Lazaridis Nikolaos, Kapidakis Sarantos

Course Outline

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired:

• Knowledge of the various types of digital libraries and their collaborative initiatives (e.g., Europeana), the different types of electronic resources (text, audio, image, video), the standardization of formats, metadata, communication protocols (e.g., Open Archive Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting, OAI-PMH), and interoperability (e.g., Dublin Core) in digital libraries. They will have gained an in-depth understanding of the components of a digital library.
• Understanding the connection between conventional (traditional), hybrid (print and digital), and digital libraries. It is recognized that a digital library is not merely a repository of electronic content but a collection of resources and services equivalent to those of a conventional library in electronic form. They will also understand the role of intellectual property rights in digital collections and how to manage them (e.g., Creative Commons).

In addition, students will further develop the following competencies

• Application: Students will develop the ability to manage repositories and digital libraries using open-source software, create workflows, design metadata forms, and manage metadata within repositories.
• Analysis: Students will learn to manage digital collections in a repository environment by creating different workflows and metadata forms.
• Synthesis: Depending on digital content needs, students can structure different metadata fields in Dublin Core to create appropriate metadata forms for describing digital content.
• Evaluation: Students can assess the metadata forms and workflows they have created.

The course also includes a laboratory component in which the following activities take place:

• Familiarization with various digital libraries at both national and international levels.
• Use of equipment and software for the digital capture and processing analog materials.
• Utilization of specialized software for converting images into PDF files and performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
• Creation of metadata, digital records, and collections using different data schemas and information systems.

Course modules

The course is divided into the following modules:

• Module 1: Introduction to the fundamental concepts of digital libraries and repositories. Early digital library projects. Large-scale digitization projects. Connection with the Metadata course. Definitions of digital content, the distinction between digitized and born-digital content. Differences between digital libraries and repositories.
• Module 2: Formats and types of digital content records. Metadata schemas with an emphasis on Dublin Core and interoperability standards, focusing on OAI-PMH and its application. Controlled vocabularies. Linked data.
• Module 3: Digital Library Management Systems (DLMS). Architectures, design, and evaluation criteria. Open-source vs. commercial solutions. Institutional repositories. User interface evaluation, end-user needs, and the most suitable solution selection.
• Module 4: Digitization project management. Selection of materials for digitization, choice of digital collection management software, metadata schemas and interoperability standards, digitization workflows, copyright management, access and distribution policies, and financial and human resource management of digitization projects. Digitization of text and images. Digitization of audio and video (moving images).
• Module 5: Repository management. This unit examines workflow processes within a repository, self-archiving, modern approaches to copyright management and licensing (Creative Commons), and access and distribution policy models.
• Module 6: Creation of digital collections. This unit focuses on engaging students in all stages of developing a digital collection. Students will undertake a project involving material selection, digitization and processing, choice of digital library management system (using open-source software such as DSpace and OMEKA), metadata schema selection, and documentation of digital objects. Students will be trained in a real-world setting using digitization equipment and digital library software.

Student assessment

• Language: Greek
• Assessment Methods: The final exam consists of multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions. Also, the mid-term exams allow students to test their comprehension level.
• Evaluation Criteria: Knowledge of different types of digital libraries, content, formats, standards, and interoperability protocols; ability to manage repository environments; ability to create and manage digital collections, develop Dublin Core metadata forms, manage workflows, and apply access policies; Ability to evaluate and justify decisions.

Detailed criteria and grading methods are published at the beginning of the semester on the course website (eClass).