Exploring Digital Libraries: Foundations, Practice, Prospects

A landmark textbook on digital libraries for LIS students, educators and practising information professionals throughout the world.
Exploring Digital Libraries is a highly readable, thought-provoking authorative and in-depth treatment of the digital library arena that provides an up-to-date overview of the progress, nature and future impact of digital libraries, from their collections and technology-centred foundations over two decades ago to their emergent, community-centred engagement with the social web.
This essential textbook:

• Brings students and working librarians up to date on the progress, nature and impact of digital libraries, bridging the gap since the publication of the best-known digital library texts
• Frames digital library research and practice in the context of the social web and makes the case for moving beyond collections to a new emphasis on libraries value to their communities
• Introduces several new frameworks and novel syntheses that elucidate digital library themes, suggest strategic directions, and break new ground in the digital library literature.
• Calls a good deal of attention to digital library research, but is written from the perspective of strategy and in-depth experience
• Provides a global perspective and integrates material from many sources in one place - the chapters on open repositories and hybrid libraries draw together past, present and prospective work in a way that is unique in the literature.

Readership: Exploring Digital Libraries suits the needs of a range of readers, from working librarians and library leaders to LIS students and educators, or anyone who wants a highly readable and thought-provoking overview of the field and its importance to the future of libraries.