Network-enabled digitized collection at the Central library, IIT Delhi

Abstract

The emergence of the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (WWW), as a new medium of information delivery, coupled with the availability of powerful hardware, software and networking technology, triggered large-scale commercial and non-commercial digitization programmes the world over. During the past decade, great progress has been made in both theoretical and practical research in the digital library. Besides, acquiring and buying access to digital collections, academic and research libraries are exerting efforts to initiate digital library projects in their respective institutions so as to build their own digital collections. Moreover, proliferation of network-enabled electronic information products are exerting ever-increasing pressure on traditional libraries, which, in turn, are committing larger portions of their budgetary allocation to either procuring or accessing web-based full-text search services, CD-ROM products, online databases, multimedia products, and so forth. The increasing commitment for building up network-enabled digitized collections at the Central Library, IIT Delhi coincides with the installation of a fibre optics based campus LAN connected to a 2 MBps VSNL Radio Link enabling faster access to the Internet for the academic community of the Institute. The availability of high-speed Internet connection has led to the launching of a number of sponsored and unsponsored projects for building network-enabled digitized collections within the framework of the traditional library and information services at the Central Library, IIT Delhi. The Library has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to embark upon the digital world. The article outlines various constituents that contribute to the making of a digital library at the Central Library, IIT Delhi.