Library and Information Centres are continuing to provide information services in a changing environment. The advent of Information and communication Technologies has enabled libraries not only to improve the traditional library services but also to devise new methods of information services using latest technological tools. The information seeking behavior of the users has been changed and they demand latest information from any source through any method. Hence the application of latest ICT can be able to suffice the current information needs of the information stakeholders. Most of the information sources are being published in digital formats. The emergence of digital libraries has completely changed the information dissemination scenario. Users are now can be able to have access to any library for any information they seek. It is only the digital libraries which can develop such a system of information dissemination. But access to information is a problem. Such problems can be solved if digital libraries are developed in right platform. In order to discuss those emerging problems the Editors invited the contributors some useful papers. Hence, the book deals with some of the emerging topics on digital libraries which will be useful for the library and information professionals.

An authoritative and truly global exploration of current research in digital libraries. Internationally-renowned academics discuss what has been achieved with digital libraries and what we can expect in the future through the prism of research. The increasing number of digital libraries in all sectors and the pressure of ever demanding and diverse user needs has encouraged development of user-centred interfaces, intelligent search and retrieval capabilities, effective metadata description and contents organization. In addition to the two editors who are renowned for their works in digital library research, this collection brings together established international names in the field to analyse these developments in relation to users and information access and the future trends and challenges that practitioners will face. Readership: LIS students, academics and researchers interested in digital libraries and access and those developing, managing or just starting out with digital libraries

While high quality library and information services continue to thrive and strengthen economic and social development, much of the knowledge that exists on user’s needs and behaviors is fundamentally based on the results of users in English-speaking, western developed countries. Information Access and Library User Needs in Developing Countries highlights the struggles that developing countries face in terms of information gaps and information-seeking user behavior. The publication highlights ways in which users in developing countries can benefit from properly implementing LIS services. Researchers, academics, and practitioners interested in the design and delivery of information services will benefit from this collection of research.

Digital libraries are now a reality and yet their implementation and use is still not at an optimum. This text examines the various options for setting up digital libraries from digitising information in the first place to providing the interface to access the information held by the digital global library.

Issues, rights, change, privacy, economics.

On April 6, 1998, the Digital Library Federation (DLF) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored a one-day workshop on ways to improve systems of managing access to digital information. The workshop was convened to provide input from research libraries with a focus on requirements for access management systems that can be designed and deployed in today's technical, legal, and economic environment. Participants identified these five key properties for the design and adoption of systems that enable access for users while respecting the rights and interests of authors and publishers: (1) simplicity; (2) privacy; (3) good faith; (4) trusted intermediaries; and (5) reasonable terms. Participants also recommended research and project evaluation in two key areas: system usability and economic models. Although the conclusions reached at this workshop relate specifically to the problems of managing access to the cultural record in digital form for research and teaching purposes, they apply to other realms as well, including business, medicine, insurance, credit card transactions, and logfiles from Web browsers, all of which involve more sensitive information. This report describes the opening statements and invited presentations of the workshop, and summarizes the workshop discussions under three thematic headings: technical assumptions, issues affecting user acceptance, and points that address specific questions posed. Unanticipated issues that do not fit these categories are also described. Appendices list participants, suggested readings, and definitions, and provide an update on related legislative activity. (AEF)

Digital libraries have been established worldwide to make information more readily available, and this innovation has changed the way information seekers interact with the data they are collecting. Faced with decentralized, heterogeneous sources, these users must be familiarized with high-level search activities in order to sift through large amounts of data. Information Seeking Behavior and Challenges in Digital Libraries addresses the problems of usability and search optimization in digital libraries. With topics addressing all aspects of information seeking activity, the research found in this book provides insight into library user experiences and human-computer interaction when searching online databases of all types. This book addresses the challenges faced by professionals in information management, librarians, developers, students of library science, and policy makers.