AshleyTiptonDigitalLibrariesIntroductionAsimpledefinitionofadigitallibraryisalibrary wherecollectionsarestoredindigitalformatsinsteadofphysicalformatsandaccessiblevia computersThecontentcanthenbeaccessedlocally,asinwithinalibrary,orremotelysuchasfrom otherplacesonacollegecampusorfromauser'shome.Manypeoplebelievethatdigitallibraries arethefuture.Therearealsothosethatstillholdontothethoughtthatthetraditionalbrickand mortarbuildingisthewayalibraryissupposedtobeandthatmovingtothedigitalrealisnotthe directionalibraryshouldbeheading.HistoryTheinformationrevolutionisoneofthemarvelsof the20thcenturyWearenowlivinginanshowmorecontent Awarenessofneedsprovidetheinsighttouseprofessionalskillsandtalentstogreatereffect.
Themeaningofthisisthatitisimportantfortheusertohaveinformationthatiseasilylocatableand easilyaccessible.Nowadays,librarypatronshavebecomeinformationconsciousandnolongerwant towaitandgotothelibrarytofindwhattheyneed.Theywanttoaccessitaccesstheinformation electronically.Theprocessofdigitizingimpliestheproductionofadigitalsurrogateforaphysical object(Unsworth,2004).Therearemanydifferentitemsinlibrariesthataredigitized.Thisranges fromserialsthatcanbefoundeitherinprintoronlinetorarebooksandarchivesthatarenowbeing preservedinadigitalformat.Therearemanypositiveoutcomesthatcomefromdigitizingpartsofa library'scollection.Thereislesscostinreshelvingtheitem.Theitemissimultaneouslyavailableto multipleusers.Theitemdoesnothavetobereplaced,sinceitisnotbeingusedandthereisno chanceofitbeinglost.Also,ifitisarareitem,itcanbepreservedmoreeasilyasitwillbeless frequentlyhandledWhyGoDigital?Themostvaluableaspectofthedigitallibraryisitsreduction incost.Therearemanyfeesthatarenegatedsuchasstaffpay,bookmaintenance,rent,and additionalbooks.Thismakesthecostofthedigitallibrarymuchlesstomaintainthanthatofa traditionallibrary
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Alibraryisthecenterpieceofthepublic.It'stheplaceofeducationthatstemsthroughouttheentire librarycampusandisasanctuaryfortheyoungstudentlikeme,toretrievenearlyallinformation. Anycoursematerialinclasscanbefoundthatsameinformationinthelibrary,simplythereareso manywaystogetinformationnowadays.Withthehelpofbooksandespeciallytheinternetinevery publiclibraryineachstateintheUnitedStatesStudentsshouldneverfeelthelossofinformationat anytimewhenthelibrarycanbearesource.AsIwassittinginthefirstlevelofthelibraryona Wednesday,Ididn'treallyseeasmanypeopleasIfiguredIwouldsee.Evenwhenmycousinwas goingtohaveatestthatsameweekIwasinfallbreak,whichsheisincollegeThefloorwasnot emptybyanymeans,butwithcollegestudentsstudyingfortheirtest.Iwouldhaveimagined studentsscramblingthroughthebookshelvesandallcomputerweregoingtobebusy,Ibelievethe studyhabitsofstudentsareaboutasprosperousastheyhaveeverseen.They'refindingdifferent ways,places,andevenmethodstocompletetheirstudyingandresearch.Tome,thewayacommon studentstudieshaschangedevenoverthepastyearsandthelibraryhasbeenaroleinthis revolution.Nowwithnewerandbettertechnologycominginandout,it'snormalforeverypersonto wanttogettheirhandsonitasquickaspossible.SuchasappleandSamsungproducts,make internetaccesssomuchbetteraccessibleeverywhereyougo.Eventodaycomputershavebecomea revolutionarymatterandevenhasshapedthewaylibrarieslooktoday.Itisnosecretbackwhen computerswerefirstinvented,theratioofbookshelvestocomputerswerenotasevenastheyare now.AsIlookaroundthelibrary,IseetwiceasmuchpeopleoncomputersthanIdowithinthe wallsofthebookshelvesreadingabookormagazines.Whilebookswerethetraditionalmethodsfor schoolorbusinessNowarelesslikelytoprovideinformation,studentsnowwanttousetheinternet insteadthebookstobeabletogetinformationtheyneed.IrememberwhenIusetousebooksfor everythingandnowIjustuseacomputertoturninmywork.
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Librariesareanessentialpartofthecommunity.Howevernotallsocietieshavelibraries.Libraries requirecentralizedpopulations,economicdevelopmentandpoliticalstabilityfortheirsurvival. Librariesexistinplaceswherepeaceexists.Theycannotexistinplaceswithfullofconflicts. Librarieshavedifferentmissionsandservedifferentcommunitiesdifferently.Peopleand organizationsestablishlibrarieswithdifferentmissionsHistoricaloverviewshowsthatlibraries havealwayshadmissions. Theearliestmissionoflibrarieswastomaintainanarchiveforrecords.Thereisnotinformationthat showswhenthefirstlibrarywasestablishedInthepast,temples,municipalsandgovernmentshad libraries.Theselibraries...showmorecontent...
Therefore,JuliusCaesarstartedbuildingapubliclibrary,butdiedbeforehecompletedit.Asinius Polliocompletedthelibrary.Thisestablishedwasfollowedbymorepubliclibraries.Othermissions oflibrariesthatexistedinthepastincludedmaintainingscholarlymission,religiousmission,for instance,monasticlibrariesofmiddlesages,educationalmission,forinstanceuniversity,humanistic missionandpromotingnationalpride(Rubin39).
Inthemodernworld,librarieshavecertainmissionsthattheyserve.Theestablishmentofthe printingpressmademorebooksavailabletomanypeople.Thisencouragedtheestablishmentof morelibraries.IntheUnitedStatesofAmerica,librariescameupwithnewmissions.First,libraries emergedwiththemissionofself–improvementAdvancesinmechanicaltechnologyinthe eighteenthcenturyledtoindustrialrevolutionthatimprovedtheeconomyandcommunityhealth. Thismeantthatacertainclassofcitizenshadmoreleisuretime,forself–improvement.Thisfavored theemergenceofnewlibrariesThesociallibraryemergedwithanaimofhelpingindividuals improvethroughthesearchoftruth.Therefore,theyprovidedliteratureandbooksthatprovided information,whichcouldhelppeopletogainknowledgeandimprovetheircharacter.Inthecurrent world,librariesprovideinformationthatpeoplehaveaccessto,anduseitfortheirown improvement(Rubin47).
Secondly,themodernworld
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