Digital Library Infrastructure: A Case Study on Sharing Information Resources in China

Abstract

This paper investigates how information resources are shared electronically between libraries at the national level in China. It examines the digital library project related issues for both information policy and information-technology. Issues pertaining to information policy include co-operation and collaboration between information service providers, collection development, intellectual property protection, management and administration on the digital library projects, and public information services (user clients). Issues pertaining to information technology include use of UNICODE, metadata, interface standards (Z39·50) and others. Using a combination of system analysis and program evaluation methods, the current practice of developing a national digital library infrastructure is investigated, issues regarding national information countermeasures toward these digital library projects are studied, and suggestions for developing further nation's countermeasures in the digital library project are presented. Successful and/or failure experience is shared and compared with the US Digital Asia Library (DAL) project.