Exploring the Digital Library: A Guide for Online Teaching and Learning

by Kay Johnson, Elaine Magusin

"Exploring the Digital Library, " a volume in "The Jossey-Bass Online Teaching and Learning" series, addresses the key issue of library services for faculty and their students in the online learning environment. Written by librarians at Athabasca

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As libraries continue to 'go digital' educators and scholars need to keep up. This book helps highlight some of the aspects of digital libraries that we should be paring attention to. Of note, we need to make sure we're teaching students how to be good researchers, how to evaluate sources, and how to access materials -- information literacy is key.

When we speak of digital library culture we are drawing from anthropological concepts to illuminate the obstacles that users may experience in interacting with a digital library. Cultural barriers, such as knowing the language, norms, or customs of a group, can impede understanding. Digital libraries, in addition to having a distinct culture, are characterized by diversity and by change. Searches face a multiplicity of systems, interfaces, search protocols, and hyperlinked paths. It is easy to get stumped, dazzled, or just lost and bewildered in the electronic labyrinth. As information vendors compete in the marketplace, systems get new looks and other enhancements so that the system you know today may not be exactly the same as the one you log in to tomorrow (viii).

Definitely worth a read for those working in libraries and academia.

[Anonymous · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book I’ve ever read