[Berkeley Digital LibrarySunSITE]

Definition and Purposes of a Digital Library

Association of Research Libraries

October 23, 1995

Definition

There are many definitions of a "digital library." Terms such as

"electronic library" and "virtual library" are often used synonymously. The
elements that have been identified as common to these definitions[1] are:

* The digital library is not a single entity;

* The digital library requires technology to link the resources of many
* The linkages between the many digital libraries and information
services are transparent to the end users;
* Universal access to digital libraries and information services is a
goal;
* Digital library collections are not limited to document surrogates:
they extend to digital artifacts that cannot be represented or
distributed in printed formats.

Purposes

The purposes of a North American digital library system[2] are:

* to expedite the systematic development of: the means to collect,

store, and organize information and knowledge in digital form; and of
digital library collections in North America;
* to promote the economical and efficient delivery of information to all
sectors of North American society;
* to encourage co-operative efforts which leverage the considerable
investment in North American research resources, computing and
communications network;
* to strengthen communication and collaboration between and among the
research, business, government, and educational communities;
* to take an international leadership role in the generation and
dissemination of knowledge in areas of strategic importance to North
America;
* to contribute to the lifelong learning opportunities of all North
Americans.

[1] See: Drabenstott, Karen M. Analytical review of the library of the

future, Washington, DC: Council Library Resources, 1994.

[2] Adapted from The CAN-LINKED Initiative, a proposal for the co-ordinated
development of a distributed national digital library system in Canada,
prepared by a group of academic and research libraries. February, 1995.

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Association of Research Libraries

October 23, 1995

Copyright © Association of Research Libraries 1995. All rights reserved.

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the SunSITE Manager.
Last update 1/10/96. SunSITE Manager: manager@sunsite.berkeley.edu