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Report on Digital Libraries '94

THE CHALLENGES TO DESIGNING VIABLE DIGITAL LIBRARIES

Michael Ribaudo[1], Colette Wagner[1], Michael Kress[2], and Bernard Rous[3]

[1]Office of Instructional Technology, The City University of New York (CUNY), 555 West 57th Street--16th Floor, New York, New York, USA, 10019, {RIBBH, CAWBH}@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU

[2]Computer Science Department, College of Staten Island/CUNY, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, New York, USA, 10314, MKRSI@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU

[3]The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 1515 Broadway, New York, New York, USA, 10036, ROUS@ACM.ORG

Abstract

The education and information communities in the United States are facing a crisis in the distribution and archiving of information. The creation of the electronic superhighway promises an infrastructure allowing for solutions to the present crisis. This promise must be put to a rigorous test to determine that the digital storage and dissemination of information along the Internet can cost-effectively provide access to information for the exponentially growing user community. Beyond the technological research and implementation that needs to be accomplished, the challenge is to master the business of information distribution just as we have begun to tackle the technical issues involved. Six specific areas of research critical to the design of viable digital libraries are identified:

Designing a Technical Infrastructure and Establishing the Viability of the Internet as a Delivery Medium;

Making Electronic Documents Available to People with Disabilities;

Developing a Business Model for Electronic Publishing;

Building a Production Model for Electronic Publishing;

Developing Prototype Electronic Publications and Access Tools; and

Resolving Intellectual Property Issues.

Keywords: Digital libraries — issues, digital libraries — access, digital libraries and electronic publishing.

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