An Optimistic Read on Digital Libraries

Abstract

In the News story “NSF rethinks its digital library” (Special Section on Education & Technology, 2 January, p. [54][1]), J. Mervis captures the uphill struggle digital libraries have faced as they try to sustain funding and gain visibility among educators and students. However, the picture the article paints of sustainability in general and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) in particular is too pessimistic. The process by which the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) assumed responsibility for the DLESE collection is attracting a good deal of attention through articles, presentations, and grants addressing models of sustainability for digital efforts. The advantages of curated digital libraries are clear to many users. DLESE's collections of Earth science materials, now managed by the NCAR Library, have been selected by educators and scientists specifically because they are scientifically accurate, grade-level appropriate, and effective for teaching. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which operated the technical arm of DLESE and continues to run the NSDL Resource Center, is very proud of the impact of these digital library efforts. Although DLESE has lost its NSF funding, the open-source DLESE technical infrastructure underpins initiatives at NASA, NOAA, DOE, and scientific data centers and digital libraries from Britain to China. It is notoriously difficult to demonstrate the impact of educational innovations, but a current project with Denver Public Schools leveraging DLESE collections holds promise for helping us evaluate the value of digital library collections in transforming teacher practice and learning outcomes. In many ways, NSF's investment in digital libraries has been transformative. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.323.5910.54