This document discusses digital libraries and their role in education. It notes that digital libraries allow 24/7 access to curated collections of digitized texts, images, and data. They should have navigation tools and a specified audience. The document considers how digital libraries support online education and compare to traditional libraries. It provides guidance on developing effective digital collections, including considerations for content from the physical library and relating to the school curriculum. Potential advantages and disadvantages of digital libraries are presented.

1. Samantha Ragasa
LEM 511
Spring 2013
DIGITAL LIBRARIES
Information taken from Technology for the School Librarian: Theory and Practice
by William O. Scheeren

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF DIGITAL LIBRARIES
1. A digital library is a collection of texts,
images, or data that has been digitized.
2. It should have a way to navigate and
retrieve information.
3. It should have at least one specified
audience.

3. DIGITAL LIBRARIES AND ONLINE EDUCATION
 Online education outlets are growing by
leaps and bounds daily.
 School librarians need to provide access to
materials electronically.
 Students who are enrolled in distance
education should also be able to access a
library.

4. DIGITAL LIBRARIES VERSUS TRADITIONAL
LIBRARIES
 Digital libraries allow users to access the
library 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an
Internet connection.
 Digital libraries are able to reach out to all
learners, even those homebound or
homeschooled.

5. DIGITAL CONTENTS: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Considerations for an effective digital library:
 A complete core collection from the nondigital
library.
 Digital library selections that related to the
curriculum of the school.
 An “elastic collection,” where students can
checkout materials from other libraries or online
for a limited amount of time.
 Resources that allow users to start their
research.

6. DIGITAL CONTENTS: SPECIFIC AREA AND
RESOURCES
A digital library can have all of the following, or
only one of the following:
 Web sites
 Locally developed material
 School library-developed interactive services
 Electronic reference services

7. ADVANTAGES OF A DIGITAL LIBRARY
 A digital library offers a starting point for all
research.
 Provides adequate and appropriate educational
opportunities for all students – even
homeschooled students.
 Provides students with a broad range of places
to find adequate research materials. Students
do not have to use Google to find research
materials.
 Can be viewed on mobile devices as well as
computers.

8. POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL
LIBRARIES
 Access may not be available to all students.
 Students may be more likely to copy and
paste and commit plagiarism crimes.
 Less dependence on books.
 Budget problems.

9. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
1. interoperability – the ability of diverse systems and organizations to work together
2. Google Books – a resource through Google.com that allows a user to view parts of
books
3. core collection – nondigital resources in the library that provide the tools for the
majority of the information needs of library users
4. elastic collection – resources that students can checkout from other digital libraries
or nondigital libraries, where they only have access to them for a few weeks at a
time.
5. push technology – Allow users to be contacted with automatic notification systems
and messaging systems
6. pull technology – Web search engines that allow users to pull information in from
the World Wide Web
7. cyber schools (digital schools)– an educational institution that provides instruction
by way of the Internet
8. e-books – electronic, digital books
9. productivity suite – programs that allow the users to make presentation-type
materials on a computer (Microsoft PowerPoint)
10. PDA – personal digital assistant; a device that can go with the user and usually
allows a user to access the Internet and e-mail.

10. RESPONSES TO CHAPTER QUESTIONS
2. Using Peter Milbury’s school-libraries.net Web
page, select three digital libraries you consider
to be exemplary. Using a standard Web page
evaluation form, evaluate each of the sites and
then prepare a report on each site for your
class.
- this website costs money, my free trial has
ended.
3. There were several curriculum areas mentioned
in the chapter. Select three of the curriculum
areas and locate three Web sites for each of the
curriculum areas of value to a high school digital
library.

11. SUMMARY
 Digital libraries are important for students to
be able to access materials that school
libraries do not offer (i.e. online journal
articles).
 Digital libraries need to be looked at
thoroughly by the library media specialist. He
or she needs to decide how much to offer to
their audience and what the budget allows
for.

12. OTHER RESOURCES
 “The Digital School Library: A Worldwide
Development and a Fascinating Challenge”
by David Loertscher
 Library Information Systems byDavid
Loertscher

13. URL’S TO SUPPORT
 Digital Library help for Librarians:
http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/web2.ht
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