DIGITAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT IN SELECTED UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN

UGANDA

BY

RONALD MUSAASIZI

REG NO: 09/U/1341

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE OF LIBRARY

AND INFORMATION SCIENCE OFFERED AT THE EAST AFRICAN SCHOOL OF

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, COLLEGE OF COMPUTING AND

INFORMATION SCIENCES, MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, KAMPALA

DECEMBER 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

ACRONYMS iv

ABSTRACT v

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION1

1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................11.2 Background of the Study.......................................................................................................11.3 Statement of the Problem.......................................................................................................51.4 Purpose of the Study..............................................................................................................61.5 Objectives of the Study..........................................................................................................61.6 Research Questions................................................................................................................61.7 Scope of the Study.................................................................................................................71.7.1 Geographical Scope............................................................................................................7Background of KYU Library Services........................................................................................7Background of MUBS Library Services......................................................................................8Background of NDEJJE Library Services...................................................................................81.7.2 Subject Scope......................................................................................................................81.8 Significance of the Study.......................................................................................................81.9 Dictionary Explanation of terms............................................................................................9

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW11

2.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................112.1 Strategies for the Development of Digital Libraries............................................................112.2 Forces Responsible for Digital Library Development.........................................................202.3 Mechanisms for selection of digital library collections.......................................................252.4 Digital Library Services and its Relevance.........................................................................282.41 Digital Library Services.....................................................................................................282.4.2 Relevance attached to digital library development...........................................................312.5 Challenges faced in digital library development.................................................................352.5.1 Challenges.........................................................................................................................352.5.2 Solutions to some of the challenges faced in the digital library development.................42

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 45

3.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................453.1 Research Design..................................................................................................................453.2 Population and Sampling.....................................................................................................453.2.1 Target Population..............................................................................................................453.2.2 Sample Size......................................................................................................................453.2.3 Sampling Technique.........................................................................................................46

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3.3 Data collection Methods......................................................................................................463.3.1 Research Instruments........................................................................................................473.3.2Research Procedure...........................................................................................................473.4 Quality Control....................................................................................................................473.4.1 Validity.............................................................................................................................473.4.2 Reliability.........................................................................................................................483.5 Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................483.6 Ethical Considerations.........................................................................................................483.7 Limitations of the study and solutions.................................................................................493.7.1 Limitations........................................................................................................................493.7.2 Solutions...........................................................................................................................49

REFERENCES......................................................................................................................50APPENDIX A: PROPOSED BUDGET................................................................................62APPENDIX B: WORKPLAN...............................................................................................63

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ACRONYMS

CDRS: Collaborative Digital Reference Service

DL: Digital Library

DLs: Digital Libraries

HILT: High-Level Thesaurus

ICTs: Information and Communication Technologies

KYU: Kyambogo University

LIS: Library and Information Science

MUBS: Makerere University Business School

UN: United Nations

VRD: Virtual Reference Desk

WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization

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ABSTRACT

Digital libraries are gradually gaining popularity across the globe. In some parts of the world,

especially in the developed countries, it is already pervasive. But in most less developed parts of

the world, for example in Uganda, digital library development is still quite a new phenomenon.

The purpose of this research proposal is to investigate and look into various aspects concerning

Digital library development in selected university libraries. Other objectives that will guide the

research will include finding out the strategies that can be employed by the selected University

Libraries in the development of digital libraries, to find out the basic forces responsible for

digital library development as per the selected University Libraries, to find out the mechanism

for the selection of digital library collection in the selected University Libraries, the kind of

services provided by the digital libraries and the relevance attached to digital library

development, not forgetting to look into some of the challenges that can be faced in the transition

and some of the solutions. Objectives of the study will be tried out during the data collection

phase using appropriate methods and techniques and all will be aimed at finding out the

underlying factors into the development of digital libraries in selected University libraries in

Uganda.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

The study will be focused on the digital library development in selected university libraries in

Uganda. This chapter shall present the background of the study, statement of the problem,

purpose of the study, the intended research objectives and key questions, scope of the study,

significance of the study and the dictionary explanation of terms.

1.2 Background of the Study

The wide spread use of information communication technologies (ICTs) in the world today has

resulted in huge amounts of information being generated, stored and distributed in digital

formats. With the accelerated development and use of the Internet and Web-based technologies

in organizations and in homes by individuals, publishing and distribution of information

resources in digital format has also become more wide spread. It is now possible for individuals

in their homes to have access to full-text journal articles, conference papers, research reports,

technical documents, statistical information, data sets, and much more. More and more people

are now using the Internet as a major source of information. In fact, the Internet has been

referred to as "a vast library, containing every type of information known to humans" (Wallace

1999). Unfortunately, this vast library has developed without any proper organization of its

information resources. Unlike in a traditional library where information resources to be added to

the collection are carefully selected, organized -classified, catalogued, and indexed by human

beings and catalogues or indexes are generated to facilitate easy retrieval and location of

information resources, this has not been the case with most of the digital collections found on the

Internet. However, the importance of the Internet as a source of information for most people in

the world today cannot be ignored. In addition, the Internet infrastructure can also be used to

deliver quality information services to information end-users. Therefore, organization of digital

information resources on the Internet has become a pre-occupation of many individuals and

organizations. The result is the creation of organized digital collections of information resources

referred to as digital libraries or virtual libraries.

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Digital libraries are still developing and taking shape, and therefore, there are many definitions

of a digital library. In addition, due to a number of factors, among them the large number of

players involved in the development and implementation of digital libraries, it has become quite

difficult to have a generally accepted definition of a digital library. Most definitions are largely

influenced by the perceptions or points of views of the people or organizations involved in

digital library projects. It is a matter of different communities, different agendas. For example, an

Internet user, a librarian, a computer scientist, a publisher, or a Webmaster will each have a

different perception of what a digital library is from their point of view. The search for a general

acceptable definition for a digital library is also slightly complicated by the fact that three

different terms - "digital library," "electronic library" and "virtual library" - with almost different

meanings are used synonymously to refer to the same thing (Saunders (1999). As a result of this

situation, there are many different definitions of a digital library. The best way to conceptualize a

digital library is to examine its characteristics or features, and these can be interpreted from the

various definitions of a digital library.

According to Harter (1997), the relatively recent use of the term "digital library" can be traced to

the Digital Libraries Initiative funded by the National Science Foundation, the Advanced

Research Projects Agency, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United

States, in 1994. Since then, the term has been adopted by various authors and Organizations and

various definitions have been proposed. Among the definitions are those by Oppenheim and

Smithson (1999), the Digital Library Federation of the United States and IBM (1994), have

provided different definitions of a digital library. Oppenheim and Smithson (1999:97) define the

digital library as: -

"An information service in which all the information resources are available in computer-process

able form and the functions of acquisition, storage, retrieval, access and display are carried out

through the use of digital technologies"

The Digital Library Federation provides a more comprehensive definition. It defines digital

libraries as: -

"Organizations that provide the resources, including the specialized staff, to select, structure,

offer intellectual access to, interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of and ensure the

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persistence over time of collections of digital works so that they are readily and economically

available for use by a defined community or set of communities" (Walters 1998).

IBM (1994) definition is more of a hybrid digital library, one that includes the features of

traditional libraries. IBM defines a digital library as: -

"A machine readable representation of materials which might be found in a university library

together with organizing information intended to help users find specific information. A digital

library service is an assemblage of digital computing, storage, and communications machinery

together with the software needed to reproduce, emulate, and extend the services provided by

conventional libraries based on paper and other material means of collecting, storing, cataloging,

finding, and disseminating information. A full service digital library must accomplish all

essential services of traditional libraries and also exploit digital storage, searching, and

communication ".

From the above three definitions, and the vast amount of literature available on digital libraries,

one can get an indication of the features of digital libraries. These include:

Digital libraries are organizations with specific objectives or goals. Most digital library

project's objective is to generate, collect, store, and organize information in digital forms,

and make it available to defined groups of users for searching, retrieval, and processing

via communication networks.

Digital libraries have functions and processes being undertaken in order to achieve the

objectives and goals of the organization. These include selecting resources to be included

in the collection; offering access to resources; distributing the resources, and a like. These

functions and processes are carried out by a combination of human resources and

technological resources.

Digital libraries are made up of digital collections. Digital libraries store materials in

electronic format. These include document surrogates like bibliographic records

(metadata) and indexes in addition to full-text documents, audio files, videos, and images

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some of which cannot be represented or distributed in printed formats. These digital

works include both internal and external resources.

Digital libraries serve a defined community or set of communities. Digital libraries are

set-up to serve users, and the information needs of the target community or set of

communities determine the information content and services of the digital library.

Digital libraries are accessed by users through a single user-friendly interface. The main

purpose of the user interface is to perform as an 'access and integration layer' to a

managed environment of quality assured information sources in local and distributed

environments which are available from many sources (Thomas 2000). In most digital

libraries, the interface is a portal accessed using a Web browser.

From the early days, digital libraries have attracted a lot of interest, and this is supported by

Harter when he wrote that: there is much interest today in digital libraries. We see many research

and development projects, a surplus of international conferences, high activity in the computer

science, human / computer interaction, library and information science and other research and

development communities, and a great deal of development activity on the Internet.

It is well recognized that libraries all over the world are undergoing transformation, especially

owing to the development in information and communication technologies. Traditional libraries

are changing to digital libraries and new libraries that are being set up are increasingly of the

digital kind. As a result, there is widespread interest and consequently, a lot of research and

development activities are being carried out in this area world over. In Uganda, a number of

institutions are also in the process of setting up digital libraries and many scholars and

practitioners are conducting research on digital libraries.

Today’s scholarly information is increasingly being produced in digital formats. Almost

everyone involved in the knowledge production process, prefers the electronic form. These

actors could be the creators of knowledge, the managers of the knowledge, the publishers of

knowledge and the people that are finally responsible for permanently storing the resulting

knowledge.

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Libraries have prided themselves with having the opportunity of being entrusted with the

permanent storage and management of the results of scholarship. However, development and

creation of the digital libraries is one of the greatest challenges facing librarians and information

professionals the world over today. In Uganda and Africa at large, the issue comes very much to

the forefront because of the prevailing conditions and the state of the country’s knowledge

resources. What should interested institutions in Uganda put into consideration on the verge of

digital library development? What are the strategies for the digital library development in

selected University Libraries? What are the underlying forces in the transition development of

digital Libraries? What are the mechanisms for selection of digital library collections? The kind

of services provided by such libraries? What relevance is attached to digital Libraries?

Associated problems and the thoughtful solutions? This research proposal will aim to analyze

the various aspects and give an insight on the notion of digital library development.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The manual system of searching for information and materials in the traditional library does not

permit multiple use of the same material by different library users unlike the online library

services. It is inefficient and time consuming, hence the need to exploit the advantages of the

digital library which enables provision of online library services. However, there are a lot of

challenges facing the development of a digital library or conversion to digital status. Digitization

is time consuming and it is also a very expensive endeavor. Differences in institutional mission

affect not only support for and (therefore) use of the campus library, but the library's

commitment to data collection and analysis. Confronted with these difficulties and yet clamor for

some vision of what is happening, the tendency is to aggregate existing heterogeneous data to

reveal trends, and then interpret the normalized data cautiously because they may be misleading.

Even if these complicated problems were solved, traditional library measures would still provide

an incomplete picture of the information landscape because they focus strictly on information

services provided by libraries, ignoring information services provided by other entities on or off

campus. Given the modern society's need to control its ever-increasing body of information,

digital libraries will be among the most important and influential information institutions of this

century. With their versatility, accessibility, and economy, these focused collections of

everything digital are fast becoming the "banks" in which the world's wealth of information is

stored. Digital collections increasingly contain both born-digital objects, and digital objects that

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may be derived through the digitization of analogue source materials. However, despite various

advances provided by the digital library revolution in the aspects of information provision and

dissemination, it is quite alarming that certain institutional libraries most especially in Uganda

are keeping a deaf ear to finally get jig with the digital library development to be able to suit

favorably with the increasing demands of the 21st century. Therefore, it will be important to the

researcher to investigate and find out the pertinent issues on the notion of digital library

development for the revamp in service delivery in the selected University libraries.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study will be to explore the notion of digital library development in the

sense of strategies, forces, services, relevance attached and come up with a manual or document

to which reference could be made on the creating and development of a digital library.

1.5 Objectives of the Study

(i) To find out the strategies that can be employed by the selected University Libraries in the

development of digital libraries.

(ii) To find out the basic forces responsible for digital library development as per the selected

University Libraries.

(iii) To find out the mechanism for the selection of digital library collection in the selected

University Libraries.

(iv) To find out the kind of services provided by the digital libraries and the relevance attached to

digital library development.

(v) To find out the challenges faced by the selected University Libraries in the development of

digital libraries and solutions?

1.6 Research Questions

(i) What strategies can be employed by the selected university libraries in the development of

digital libraries?

(ii) What are the basic forces responsible for digital library development as per the selected

University Libraries?

(iii) What mechanisms are used in the selection of digital library collection?

(iv) What kind of services is provided by the digital libraries and what is the relevance attached

to digital library development?

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(v) What are some of the challenges faced by the selected University Libraries in the

development of digital libraries and what should be done to solve such impending factors?

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.7.1 Geographical Scope

The geographical scope shall cover three selected University Libraries that is, Kyambogo

University Barclays Library, Makerere University Business School Library and Ndejje

University Library-Kampala Campus respectively;

Background of KYU Library Services

Relatively, Kyambogo University Library services are based on the three sister institutions that

initially merged to form a unit, that is; Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK),

Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK) and Uganda Institute of special Needs Education

(UNISE). The institutions were respectively, responsible for all teachers training in the country;

training technicians in the mechanical, civil and electrical engineering as well as coordinating

technical training in the entire country; and training teachers to teach children with disabilities in

the country.

Each of the above named former institutions had its own institutional library. Those libraries

together with a newly created library unit at the faculty of Education were merged to form a

University Library Service to serve the University and the public. In line with the mandate of

Kyambogo, The University Library Service extends supervisory, advisory and professional

leadership roles to over sixty (60) affiliated institutions comprising Primary Teachers’ Colleges,

the National Teachers’ Colleges, and all the Polytechnics in Uganda. The University Library

clientele consist of over 15000 students on the KYU campus; with over 30000 students in

affiliated institutions; various categories of staff as well as members of the community. The

major aim of KYU Library service is to provide academic facility to assist and enhance teaching,

learning and research to the university community and beyond. It follows therefore, that the

mode in which the information is gathered, processed, stored, accessed, retrieved, and

disseminated is a critical factor in determining the quality of education at the university. It is for

this reason that the Library should be high among the priorities areas in the university

development plan.

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Background of MUBS Library Services

The MUBS Library service is permitted to provide users with academic and non academic

information materials that support the curricular and research needs of students at all levels of

business education. Makerere University Business School Library services are a combination of

different libraries located within and outside the MUBS Campus. These include, the Main

Library generally for under graduate courses, the GRC Library mainly for the Post Graduate

Students, the Bugolobi Annex that caters for the Diploma Students studying at Bugolobi. The

Library also caters for students who are registered at the Study Centers in Jinja, Arua and

Mbarara.

Background of NDEJJE Library Services

The background of Ndejje University Library Kampala Campus dates back to the year when the

University was established in 1992. It is located at Namirembe Hill Road. The Library’s main

objective is to acquire and organize information resources and services and make them readily

accessible so as to encourage successful teaching, learning and research and assist in preparing

students to become professionals who can enrich society with their knowledge, initiative and

personal responsibility.

1.7.2 Subject Scope

The study will cover information underlying the development of digital libraries in terms of

strategies, forces, mechanisms for selection of digital collection, services provided, the

relevance attached to digital library development, coupled with challenges and solutions.

1.8 Significance of the Study

The study is hoped to act as a pertinent reference tool to various library and information

institutions who would wish to embark on the path of digital library development.

Student-researchers on the other hand would also benefit in the sense of scholarly research and

undertakings in the provision of viable guidelines and information on about issues to deal with

various segments of proposal writing and basically a pertinent tool for the acquisition of the

basic knowledge and understanding of the notion of digital library development.

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1.9 Dictionary Explanation of terms

Access

Augmentation

Cornerstone

Something that is extremely important because everything else depends on it.

Development

Digital

Using a system in which information is represented in the form of changing electrical signals.

Digitize

To put information into a digital form.

Digital Library

It is a setup in which information materials are stored in a digital library. Such a library usually

has no limited boundary.

Extension

Force

Information

Facts or details that tell you something about a situation, person, event.

Integrate

To combine things that work well together in order to make an effective system.

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Interoperability Is the ability to perform a search over diverse sets of metadata records and obtain meaningful results

Management

The act of or skill of directing and organizing the work of a company or organization.

Metadata

Mechanism

Microfiche

A sheet of film on which written information is stored in a very small form, and which can only

be read using a special machine.

Microfilm

Very small film for photographing maps, documents that is, so that they can be easily stored.

Rejuvenate

Strategy

University Library

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

This chapter will focus on the study of the related literature to the research problem. Literature to

be used in this chapter shall contain all the works consulted in order to understand and

investigate the notion of digital library development in selected University Libraries. In addition,

the compilation shall comprise an account of what has been published and the researchers’

thoughts about the same notion.

2.1 Strategies for the Development of Digital Libraries

Libraries have traditionally been part of the global information infrastructure and an ideological

and cultural force with far reaching implications in society. Over centuries they have collected

maintained, organized, and provided access to information and knowledge resources that enable

individuals, organizations and communities to achieve their goals. Today they continue to

mobilize and provide access to local and global knowledge for social, political and economic

development. In doing so they act as gateways for information and tools for bridging the

information divide within and between countries. Even so there is evidence that in Sub-Saharan

Africa, print-based library services have failed in providing relevant and timely information for

different purposes (Unesco, 1995). All categories of library services in the region are presently

inefficient and largely ill-managed to service the information needs of the people. As a result

they remain peripheral in the educational, scientific and social and political life of the people and

especially those in rural areas (Rosenberg, 1994, 2005). Libraries in Sub-Saharan countries

depend mainly on government funding but often without comprehensive strategy for

development (Unesco, 1995). In the past decades, the economic situation in many developing

countries has been such that many libraries have not had the financial resources to maintain

effective services. The increasing cost of books, journal Subscriptions and the falling currency

values, has only worsened the situation (Sharma and Vishwanathan, 2001). The fall of libraries

in the region was suitably expressed thus: All was well in the heady years immediately following

independence when healthy commodity prices and booming economies kept modernization

hopes alive . . . Then from the mid-1970s many African countries fell into twisting of recurrent

recessions, which wrecked havoc on development ambitions and the bookshelves grew empty.

The “book hunger” joined the tyranny of Africa’s other famines of development, democracy, and

self determination (Zeleza, 1997, p. 72).

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This has had very negative and damaging effect on training and research capacities and has

limited the possibilities for good policy analysis and planning. Ten years ago, Rosenberg (1997)

observed that since the mid-1980s, the relative value of university libraries in the Sub-Saharan

region had declined to a near total collapse. This trend continues to the present and has led to

their marginalization from the teaching, learning and research process in the university. This

information shortfall is evident in almost every sphere of national activity including resource

exploitation and environmental conservation, trade and industry, health, social and cultural

development and employment creation. Several authors such as Magara (2002), Mutula (2002),

McDonald and Kebbell (2004), Jain (2006) and Rosenberg (2006) have written on the

advantages of digital libraries. These advantages make the creation of digital libraries a strategic

method to enhance information access in the Sub-Saharan region and in Ugandan Universities

Libraries at large:

Digital libraries provide a faster method of accessing and exchanging information in all

sectors such as research, scholarship, medicine, government services and business.

Digital information can easily be shared and therefore is available to everybody, which is

a great improvement on print libraries, which require expensive duplication of material in

different locations.

Given their sinking cost of establishment, digital libraries can make it possible to provide

everybody even those in the remotest parts of the Sub-Sahara with information in its most

up-to-date form. With a link to the information superhighway, libraries in the region even

the smallest and the remotest can serve as a gateway to local as well as global

information.

Digital libraries are available on 24-hour basis from anywhere in the world, offering

flexible arrangements for students, researchers, scholars and the community.

Digital libraries can be widespread and accessed as full text from any location or

workstation.

E-content is available on several subjects from a variety of sources such as libraries,

electronic publishers, and business organizations and in multimedia formats.

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Information is readily available from offices, telecenters, laboratories, and homes.

Kavulya, highlights the following as the adapt strategies for the development of digital

libraries;

Provision of Digital Library Infrastructure

Digital libraries depend on information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure to

facilitate distributed processing, high-speed networks, information processing, storage and

retrieval, user interfaces, geographical distribution, security, high quality presentation and

perpetual availability of digital information (Chowdhury, and Chowdhury 1999). To transform

into digital libraries, libraries in the Sub-Saharan region require commitment to the use of

modern information and communication technology as a strategy of choice in achieving

information service objectives.

The development and maintenance of digital libraries calls for investment of considerable

financial resources in digitization equipment, and computer servers, developing information

retrieval capabilities via network infrastructure, purchase of electronic information resources and

retraining of library staff on digital library management skills. With the ever-changing media

technology, there will always be costs of continued upgrading of the digital infrastructure. Given

the uncertain nature of ICT infrastructure in the Sub-Saharan region it may need to maintain

parallel conventional and digital system (Mutula, 2002; Jain, 2006).

Content Creation

Information is not an end in itself, but simply a means to an end and can therefore only be useful

if is of the right quality, timely and relevant to the specific needs of the user. There is need to

amass digital information content that is relevant to the communities in the Sub-Saharan Africa

and which is based on needs analysis to determine the requirements of different consumers and

reflect the aspirations of communities in the region. For example, decision and opinion leaders,

researchers and communities- need access to a wide scope of information resources covering

issues facing the region such as health (for example, HIV/ AIDS, malaria, and a like.),

improvement of trade and industry food security, gender, development and education. According

to a research by Mchombu (1984), rural communities in the Sub-Saharan Africa require a

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diversity of information applicable to their daily life covering health, careers and occupation,

sanitation, nutrition recreation, education, legal issues and culture. This kind of information will

sensitize communities to their situation and how it can be changed; instill development

consciousness through skills and abilities (Mchombu, 1984). Students, on the other hand, need

access to a wide variety of national, regional and international electronic information networks,

including electronic libraries that contribute to their learning process.

Findings of a research by Wang (2003) indicate that digital content for university students should

include journals, textbooks, newspapers, encyclopedias, magazines, maps and multimedia

resources that are relevant to the curriculum. Carnaby (2005) has noted that libraries can

contribute useful content significantly in form of teaching and research. This can be achieved

among others by putting local information into virtual databases, digitizing research reports,

thesis, papers and dissertations produced in the continent and government document.

Information literacy skills and lifelong learning

To ensure that digital libraries are fully utilized, there is, need to develop learning and education

as a lifelong process through information literacy programs. In a digital library environment,

end-users are expected to interact directly with computers to fulfill their information needs. They

should therefore acquire skills to create structure, locate, search and use materials in digital

formats (Wang, 2003). This is especially urgent in the Sub-Saharan region where experience and

tradition of use of library and information are limited among the vast majority. Information

literacy efforts need to develop view of information as a crucial resource and provide consumers

of information with skills on how to extract, evaluate and use available information resources for

their different needs. Because of their closeness to the people, libraries in the Sub-Saharan region

are well placed to training various categories of people at various levels so as to empower them

with skills to access and exploit electronic resources and integrate the various information

sources in the production of knowledge.

Digital librarian competencies and values

The digital environment requires a variety of new skills on the part of librarians to enable them

to establish digital libraries and provide user services effectively and efficiently. Particularly,

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library personnel are expected to meet the challenge of providing information literacy skills of

harnessing and applying information in concrete situations. According to Bawden (2005), apart

from the traditional skills of information organization the library and information science (LIS)

professional are expected be firmly grounded in ICT-related competencies such as core hardware

and software skills, web design, internet searching and evaluation of electronic information.

In the past the library field in Sub-Saharan Africa has been characterized by inadequate or

outdated skills among the staff, which render library personnel inadequately prepared to function

in the present dynamic electronic information environment (Were, 1990; Raseroka, 1999;

Rosenberg, 2005, 2006). There is hence a dire need for substantial investment in order to

improve and update the knowledge and skills of library and information personnel in the region

to face the fast changing information and communication technology. Chowdhury and

Chowdhury (1999) have argued that modern LIS training courses should address the

fundamental issues in digital library development such as of digital library collections,

information services and access to digital libraries, technical skills and infrastructure, social and

economic issues, skills for fundraising, consortium activities, negotiating with authors,

publishers and suppliers, and managing development projects to enhance the library services.

The need for collaborative efforts

Digital libraries project can only succeed through the collaboration between different

stakeholders such as those who create information and the people who use it and their needs.

There also need for expertise from various LIS domains, including information acquisition and

processing, reference services, classification and indexing. LIS professionals must also

collaborate with other players in the information field such as researchers, IT specialists,

information seekers and information providers, content creators and publishers. The economic

difficulties experienced in the Sub-Saharan region, the exploding information universe, the fast

changing information and communication technology, as well cost of modern information

technology make it necessary for libraries in to pool resources together nationally and regionally

so as to provide quality electronic services. Organizational self-sufficiency is an unachievable

dream but through cooperation in establishing and providing digital-based information services

can lead to success. Co-operation and networking could lead to wider access to collection, and

enhanced operations by sharing resources, reducing duplication and offering more cost-effective

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services through capacity building initiatives and innovative financing, and assisting to achieve

economies of scale and lower costs. This is already happening in countries such as Kenya and

Uganda in the form of consortia with great benefits (Rosenberg, 2005). Global collaboration with

donor agencies and foundations can enable Sub-Saharan libraries access information resources in

other parts of the world and gain the tremendous experience, knowledge and skills already

established elsewhere. At the local level, libraries and information centers must co-ordinate their

efforts with learning and research institutions, development agencies, community organizations

and government departments. This will ensure that locally generated information is gathered, and

digitally stored. This will in turn be delivered to all and especially remote and isolated

communities that are presently disadvantaged by lack of information infrastructure. In the same

vein LIS professionals must also develop strong collaboration with community leaders and

opinion leaders to champions for establishment and improvement of digital libraries.

Copyright and contractual agreements

With the transition from print to digital information there are fresh questions on the application

of copyright laws in a digital environment. This is an issue that may restrain libraries in the Sub-

Saharan Africa in their bid to create and use digital collections due to weak regulatory

framework in the region and the unclear global copyright law on digital information. Chowdhury

and Chowdhury (1999) have insisted there is need for changes in the current copyright law to

protect the interests of owners of intellectual property but facilitate efficient user access to digital

items. There have been calls for the revision procedures and policies under the copyright law to

allow libraries pursue their key objective of acquiring and facilitating digital information

unhindered (IFLA, 2001). One noticeable trend is the use of contractual agreements entities

within the information chain such as libraries and suppliers of electronic information. There is

need for LIS professionals in the Sub-Saharan region to address this issue if digital libraries are

to be established on firm foundation of practice.

Standards

Just like in traditional libraries, standards are essential in a digital library development

environment. Access to a variety of media requires a standardized method of organization of and

retrieval (McDonald and Kebbell, 2004). Standards are especially critical in the digital

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environment in that they facilitate: integrated interface to different kinds of resources; unified

searching across multiple systems; unified searching across different metadata schemes with

results merged and de-duplicated; unified searching across different formats of material such as

bibliographic records and full text; simplified authentication and authorization for the user;

dynamic reference and citation linking (Cox and Yeates, 2002). Today libraries in Sub-Sahara

region in the process of putting in place digital-based systems such as electronic library

management systems, creation of local area networks, purchase of digital information in diverse

media and quest for access to virtual databases and creating local content. In the stampede for the

promised digital paradise, there is little or no co-ordination between institutions even within the

same country. This may lead to lack of interoperability that will defeat the goal of seamless

access to information and resource sharing.

Preservation and archiving

There is general agreement among scholars of LIS on the need to ensure that digital libraries

continue into the future so that digital objects can be accessed in perpetuity. However debate still

ranges on the best archiving practices (Cordeiro, 2004). Yakel (2004) has proposed a number of

approaches:

Unit-based digital repository in which the archive is part of the library system and

undertakes archiving activities for specific unit within an institution.

Institutional digital repository whereby a single archives is set up for the entire institution

instead of one for each unit.

Trusted digital repository whereby a third institution is given the archiving role. Lor

(2005) believes that libraries in the Sub-Saharan Africa are incapable of archiving digital

collections due to the current funding and infrastructural problems in the region. He

therefore proposes that repositories in developed countries should spearhead archiving for

the region. This suggestion goes against the spirit espoused by several digital information

partnerships in the Sub-Saharan region of promoting self-sustainability of libraries in the

region. Besides, shifting of archiving responsibilities to the developed countries could

reverse the gains made through regional consortia as well as by individual local

institutional efforts. This will only serve to deepen the lamentable North-South digital

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divide. Several digital library initiatives have been reported in the Sub-Saharan region

(Lor, 2005; Rosenberg, 2005, 2006). Although these efforts are still at their infancy there

is need for a system of data capture preservation and archiving to be established. There is

for stronger partnerships with professionals and institutions in the South with those in the

North to ensure that preservation and archiving in African digital libraries is part of the

ongoing digital library initiatives in the region. Particularly, purchase agreements with

North based e-information aggregators should address perpetual access to electronic

information items by users and institutions in the South.

The need to address the digital divide

There is a growing concern that the digital library will lead to further consolidation of

information power in the hands of a few and widen rather than bridge the existing information

divide within and between countries (Gore, 2000; Huang and Russell, 2006; Sigh, 2002).

Presently libraries in the Sub-Sahara are concentrated in cities and major academic and research

institutions. The high costs of modern ICTs make it only accessible to a privileged category of

citizens (Mutula, 2002; Jain, 2006). Faced with lack of access to PCs, telephone lines and

internet connection the large majority of Sub-Saharan communities stand to lose out in the

information society. This means that if the issue of democratic and equitable access to

information especially in the region is not adequately addresses it can lead to further alienation

isolation and disempowerment of certain ethnic minorities, rural communities, women and

youth. The governments and professionals in the region have the duty to address the issue of

digital divide between groups of classes and communities and enable everybody harness the

power of knowledge to improve their lives.

National digital library strategy and framework

The establishment of digital libraries is a gigantic undertaking and many writers have advised

that to succeed, there is need for a government-backed national digital library strategy (Carnaby,

2005). Chen (2004) has observed that the spectacular success of digital libraries in the USA can

partly be attributed to Federal Government policy commitment to implementing the concept.

This led to projects such as the Digital Library Initiative (1994-1998), which focused on

advancing the means to collect, store and organize information in digital forms and make it

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available for searching and retrieval and research into various issues, relating digital libraries

such infrastructure. Governments of the Sub-Saharan countries can facilitate the establishment of

digital libraries by fostering the necessary political, legal and institutional conditions under

which the information sector and particularly information services institutions like digital

libraries can thrive. This includes developing library and information service policies,

developing viable library and information and communication infrastructure, and legislating on

issues such as intellectual property rights, privacy and free flow of the necessary content and

knowledge. Library and information policy is especially useful in facilitating equitable access to

digital libraries for all sectors, groups and communities of the society. This can be achieved by

setting out the role of the information in promoting socio-economic growth, establishment of

digital libraries and creating strategic goals, structures as well as funding, advisory and co-

coordinating mechanism for the sector. To enhance funding it is particularly important to create

an environment in which the internet business will grow into a self-sustaining enterprise through

liberalizing the communications sector to allow for more investment and competition which will

in turn lead to lower cost of digital library infrastructure.

The researchers concern about the development of digital library strategies is that, truth be told,

digital libraries are becoming more and more prevalent worldwide and there is no doubt that the

future of knowledge creation and information sharing lies in electronic networks. To reap the

most out of the twenty-first century the selected University libraries need to position themselves

in the information revolution by putting in place the infrastructure to facilitate better knowledge

gathering, processing, distribution, access and application. Digital libraries will enable libraries

in the region to reform their knowledge management approaches to services and therefore boost

their capacity to enhance modernization of the communities they serve.

One of the constraints experienced by libraries in Uganda and others in the Sub-Saharan region

in bid to transit to digital mode is lack of adequate budgetary support necessary for collection

building, remuneration of qualified staff, setting up buildings and installation of modern

information technology. With the worsening economic situation in the region, the funding

situation of libraries is bleak. Critical is the failure by governments and communities to

recognize the centrality of information as a key factor in social and economic progress and

library services as useful means to provide equitable access to information. Consequently there

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has been growing marginalization of the libraries, which has precipitated loss of vital confidence

from all classes of stakeholders further jeopardizing their ability to contribute to the development

process. This can be reversed through deliberate government action to improve infrastructure as

well as collaboration between the various players and development partners.

Independent information search, usage, analysis and integration of different sources are the

enduring hallmarks of the digital age. With the proliferation of digital libraries, well-trained

library and information personnel are in great demand to train information users in the use and

evaluation of electronic information. Digital libraries present a new paradigm that challenges LIS

professionals in the region to rethink their roles in the electronic environment. There is therefore

urgent need for the traditional library education to be re-thought to enable the professionals meet

the challenge of investing in digital libraries. There is need to train information professionals in

the management of electronic information by giving them skills such as designing and

administration of electronic networks, electronic reference services, skills for electronic

information literacy teaching, and evaluation of internet information. Even more important

would be training in digital library management activities such as supply models, searching,

downloading, document delivery, archiving, software, copyright, licensing and managing and

access.

2.2 Forces Responsible for Digital Library Development

According to Gary Marchionini, digital libraries are the "logical extensions and augmentations of

physical libraries in the electronic information society". By extensions, digital libraries do not

break away, rather amplify, existing resources and services of traditional libraries; and by

augmentations, they offer new services and new opportunities for human information seeking

and problem solving. The research and development of digital libraries are no easy task. They

involve a large number of topics in library, information and computer sciences such as

information indexing and retrieval, collection development, database management, reference

services, human-computer interaction, interface design, digitalization and preservation,

intellectual property, networking and interoperability. A digital library is a collection of digital

documents or objects. This definition is the dominant perception of many people of today.

Nevertheless, Smith (2001) defined a digital library as an organized and focused collection of

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digital objects, including text, images, video and audio, with the methods of access and retrieval

and for the selection, creation, organization, maintenance and sharing of collection. Though the

focus of this definition is on the document collection, it stresses the fact that the digital libraries

are much more than a random assembly of digital objects. They retain the several qualities of

traditional libraries such as a defined community of users, focused collections, long-term

availability, and the possibility of selecting, organizing, preserving and sharing resources. Gary

Marchionini reports that it is not clear when the first digital library came into being, but the

concept did not appear until late 1980s. The emergence and development of digital libraries at

this stage were driven by two main forces. First, digital technological development, especially in

multimedia and networking, offered more efficient and sometimes new ways in information

processing and management. Second, people wanted to better share important information like

library materials, scientific databases in education and research. So, digital library systems came

into being. According to Koehler (1999), some of the forces responsible for digital library

development are the changing nature of the book, the patron, the library, standards, information

retrieval, and metadata.

The changing nature of the book

The book has undergone a series of changes that have made its storage and use more efficient

(Koehler, 2004). The changes include transitions in form -from stone slab to papyrus scroll to

acid free paper codex to electronic bits. Tables of contents and indexing standards have been

developed. More recently, cataloguing and classifying standards to describe books in a larger

context – the library and later the union catalog – were developed. These forms of description

and meta-description have allowed librarians to develop organized systems for our information

container collections. Koehler (2004) posits that one factor that will affect user-centric models in

the libraries of the future is the very nature of information containers. In this case, digital

collections provide new additional opportunities for organization. The changing nature of the

patron Koehler emphasizes that the future vision of the digital library must include some

speculation on potential changes in the kinds of services demands that the library patrons will

make on the digital library of the future. The author thinks that it is Resources for new modes of

information use possible to speculate on how those demands will shape those libraries. The

library users do and will want a full array of library services delivered to some point of delivery

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now at least through some electronic means of delivery-internet, telephone, and others. Physical

objects may be transferred by courier, faxed/scanned and transmitted or accessed online; the

popularity of e-books and e-journals will grow. The patrons also expect their libraries to provide

different services or rather additional services than once they did before.

The changing nature of the library

The library world has undergone much re-thinking in the last quarter century by embracing the

idea of the library without walls. The 1990s witnessed the explosion of the internet and

particularly the popularity of the World Wide Web. The web proved to be both a conduit for and

a significant source of an immense amount of information, leading some people to predict the

displacement of traditional information institutions like libraries. The patrons’ expectations for a

distance service delivery across library services have increased. Patrons have come to expect a

wide variety of automated push and or pull services form libraries and from a distance. The

internet has led to a redefinition of some but certainly not all library functions. Koehler (1999)

however recognized that the web itself lacks library characteristics. There has been much

discussion of variant forms of libraries between “pure traditional” and “pure digital” or the

“hybrid library”. To understand any aspect of library futures, one must give some consideration

to probable changes to the information containers themselves and the institutions in which those

information containers may be housed Koehler (2004).

The standards wars

The establishments of standards of the digital library futures will be dictated by the

standardization decisions made now. Koehler (2004) observed that standards have never been

more important. Technology, society and systems, are all intertwined and lead to unanticipated

consequences. Similarly, changing library standardization and increased universalization of that

standardization will lead to unanticipated consequences in the digital library community and in

society in general. Consider for example, cataloging and classification and differences among

different classification schemes. Many academic libraries in the USA have undergone

retrospective conversion from Dewey Decimal Classification to Library of Congress

Classification. Does this suggest that we are treading toward a single standard? The Machine

Readable Cataloguing (MARC) environment has seen the development of a number of different

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national systems to support local linguistic and stylistic requirements. The MARC standards

have evolved. For example, United States Machine Readable Cataloguing and Canadian

Machine Readable Cataloguing merged as MARC21. Significant limits have already been placed

on the content licenses, particularly libraries and their users on their ability to transfer access to

or to make copies of the content. If libraries continue to acquire more contemporary and

retrospective content in digital under license from second parties, the ability of libraries to

continue to serve their users as they have traditionally done may be significantly circumscribed

in the future.

Information retrieval and metadata

One of the primary functions of a library is to develop its collection in keeping with the

underlying philosophical purpose of the library. What may be appropriate or useful for one

patron may not be appropriate or useful for another. Koehler (2004) suggests that expert

intermediaries, ultimately human beings, but aided by expert systems provide and will continue

to provide those services in the digital libraries of the future. Metadata systems have increased

both in number and complexity. The purpose of metadata and metametadata, as with any

cataloguing, classification, or indexing system is to provide description in addition to the original

or native document. Typically, we want improved description to allow for better storage and

retrieval of the object and the information contained therein. These systems will span all classes

of objects-text, images, audio, and video and multimedia. These will be coupled with expert level

search and retrieval systems as well as the end-user. Both expert and end-user systems will

probably have complex human-computer interfaces to facilitate the search and retrieval process.

Higher education needs

The internet is not a replacement for books, but it is imperative that libraries reposition

themselves within their institutions in order to continue to ensure access to information,

education, people, services, and ICT. Libraries find themselves in a transitional phase, as they

adapt to the needs of an innovative higher education sector. The implementation of the strategic

vision is not solely the responsibility of libraries and computer centers. Institutions as a whole

can and must implement it. Every opposition must be overcome – for example, the library versus

the computer center, electric versus printed information, or centralized versus decentralized

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systems. A sound budget is needed to find some way out of the present fiscal crisis. Schumann

emphasized that information provision is an essential factor in research and teaching – for both

the natural and the social sciences. He advised that existing institutions and newly created virtual

or project-related organizational units must work together in a joined-up way. In the face of

reduced budgets, the new challenges must be met with technical innovations, staff training and

development, changes to the working environment and by suitable labor and business models.

Bundy explained what he thinks it means for libraries to go beyond their traditional role of

merely providing information. In his opinion, the academic library is the driving force for change

in the area of education. Unfortunately, library budgets continue to be reduced. Bundy calls for a

change in the entire system of higher education in order to meet the demands of users. Libraries

cannot manage this alone, but they must nevertheless participate in this transition even to the

extent of contributing to the curriculum.

Technology push

The focus of most development at present is tools to integrate content that is already being

managed by the library. Yeates (2002) reviewed library-oriented portals solutions and products

available in the UK: this can mean one or all of integrating multiple resources for the user into a

comprehensible landscape; allowing cross-searching or searching of many databases with one

interface; personalization; behind the scenes authentication; and the enhancement of simple

bibliographic records with tables of contents, and dust cover images. Also implied are

management tools to Resources for new modes of information use customizing the gateway for

user groups and to consolidate usage statistics. Many of the systems also have a capability to

manage the digitization process and local digital collections. Other solutions exist to solve some

of these problems and none offer as much control to the library, or such a complete professional

solution.

The researcher is a view on the strategies for the development of digital libraries is that Libraries

are an essential component of a nation’s information infrastructure. Historically, libraries have

played various key roles in information-oriented societies as the major storehouses of human

kind’s recorded knowledge. However, the physical media that store the recorded knowledge are

constantly undergoing metamorphosis due to continuous technological advancements and

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innovations. Currently, we live in the so-called “Digital era” where by information is recorded,

stored, retrieved, and disseminated in the digital form unlike the past when information was

accessed in analog formats. Nowadays, information is capable of being stored on specially

constructed electronic media and is retrieved whenever required in the most fundamental form,

as arrays of zeros and ones (that is the binary format). Thus, digitization of the library resource

materials opens up new modes of use, enables a much wider potential audience and gives

renewed means of viewing our cultural heritage with a higher degree of clarity and in a much

more compact structure. Therefore, a combined effort targeted towards digital library

development is much appealing to rejuvenate the sector of information industry in terms of

creation, processing, storage, provision and dissemination.

2.3 Mechanisms for selection of digital library collections

Considering the bourgeoning volume and heterogeneity of information on the web, selection and

appraisal of resources for digitization is one of the most difficult tasks in the digital resources

management life cycle (Hartman et al., 2005). Selecting materials for a digital project entails

different factors than selecting print materials, such as legal issues and the high costs of

digitization projects. In addition, the project team needs to determine if the materials to be

digitized warrant the time and expense of transferring the digital files to new formats every few

years as technologies change. Several authors provide guidelines for selecting materials for

digitization. Vogt-O’Connor (2000) recommends that the selection process take three phases:

nomination, evaluation, and prioritization. She discusses legal issues and stakeholder concerns

(involving culturally or ethically sensitive materials), and she presents a checklist for the

evaluation of materials, which includes such factors as donor restrictions, condition of materials,

and the authenticity of the item. De Stefano (2000) lists issues to consider for selection of

materials for a digital project, with copyright the first issue. “Obtaining copyright permission is

not always possible and can derail a project that appears otherwise straightforward.” She

discusses selection as it applies to different goals of a digitization project: selection to increase

access to materials; selection based on content; and selection for preservation.

Several authors recommend that libraries have collection development policies for digital

projects: On the basis of cost alone, it is essential that academic institutions choose digital

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projects carefully based on an established set of criteria within a well-planned procedure

(Brancolini, 2000).

Smith (2001) and Brancolini (2000) suggest using Harvard’s guidelines, Selecting Research

Collections for Digitization, (Hazen et al., 1998), as a foundation for selection criteria and then

adapting them to the needs of the local institution. Harvard’s guidelines include “a graphical

matrix for decision making” (Brancolini, 2000, p. 784).

Smith (2001) presents recommendations for selection, including that libraries be clear about the

purpose of a digital collection – whether it be for preservation, outreach, or curricular

development; that libraries develop protocols for selection; and that libraries clarify the target

audience for a digital collection. McDonald (2003) also recommends defining a library’s user

community and selecting materials that are relevant to that community. He concludes: . . . if we

build high demand, high quality collections at a reasonable cost that can be maintained for the

long term, we will take the first steps to becoming a major part of the scholarly research

dissemination chain.

De Stefano (2001) advocates that selection be driven by use. However, she found that this is

often not the case. She conducted an informal survey of 25 current digital library projects, and

found that most of the projects had enhanced access as their goal, and: . . . the most popular

approach to selecting collections for digital conversion is a subject-and-date parameter approach

applied, by and large, to special collections, with little regard for use, faculty recommendations,

scholarly input, editorial boards, or curriculum.

Unlike De Stefano’s findings, several case studies read for this literature survey found that the

use of the collection was a primary criterion for selection. For example, Jerrido et al. (2001)

discuss three digital pilot projects at Temple University. The projects were chosen in

collaboration with faculty to meet the needs of students, faculty and researchers. One of the

projects was the digitization of World War I and II posters, and this collection was selected

because of the wide use to be made of the digitized posters by a large number of schools and

academic departments of the university. The authors state that use was also a major selection

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criterion for digitizing the Urban Archives Photo Collection at Temple University. Fifarek

(2002), Wilson (2003) and Helling (2003) all cited use as a primary selection criteria for

materials in digitization projects at their institutions.

Cedar Face and Hollens (2004) outline the active collection development activities at Southern

Oregon University to build digital collections on the ecology and indigenous peoples of

Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California. Bibliographies and databases were searched

for relevant resources, and research documents were solicited from federal, state, and local

agencies. The authors also discuss the importance of collaboration in collection development.

The project team collaborated with governmental agencies and with tribes to obtain materials for

the projects.

Adaryukov and Miller (2005) discuss selection issues in a project to digitize part of the 80,000-

volume Molly S. Fraiberg Judaica Collection at Florida Atlantic University. An ad hoc selection

committee was created to delineate the scope of the digital collection, and to establish selection

procedures. With high importance placed on preservation concerns, priority was given to

materials in the most brittle condition. Hygiene

The researcher’s review on the mechanisms used in the selection of digital collections is that

interested Libraries should be reminded that selecting materials for digitization is more complex

than selecting materials for the purchase or licensing of born-digital materials, because it

involves expending resources for items that are already in the library’s collection rather than

acquiring new ones. In theory, a library would choose to digitize existing collection items only if

it could identify the value that is added by digitization and determine that the benefits outweigh

the costs. But in practice, the research library community has, over the past decade, gone boldly

forth with digitization projects not knowing how to measure their costs or benefits. Digitization

technology and its costs are constantly changing; as a result, budgeting models that make

comparisons between libraries can be meaningless or downright misleading. Unlike selecting

officials who decide the purchase or license of electronic resources, those responsible for digital

conversion do not have a set of fixed prices for services and collections on offer. The only way

for many libraries to get at the issue of cost is to undertake projects for their own sake, in the

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expectation that documentation of expenditures will yield some meaningful data. Libraries that

have been able to secure funding for projects, document their activities and expenditures, and

share that information with their colleagues have emerged as the leaders of the community, if

only because of their policies to share their knowledge something vital to look at towards digital

library development in the selected University Libraries.

2.4 Digital Library Services and its Relevance

2.41 Digital Library Services

The development of the digital library (DL) changes even this, however: while many DLs are

projects of physical libraries, many more are not. While this has raised questions about what role

libraries should play in the development of DLs, it does not change the fact that both libraries

and DLs are environments in which services are provided to users, beyond the simple existence

of a library collection. The development of DLs has enabled the realization of services both like

and unlike those traditionally provided in physical libraries, and has enabled organizations other

than libraries to provide library-like services. While the search engine is a tool, for example, the

ability to search a large collection of materials is certainly a service, and one that extends

traditional library services. The implementation of technology in libraries changes the types of

services that libraries may provide. The implementation of DLs changes the types of services

that may be considered to be services of libraries, as well as the very definition of what a library

is.

Some of the services provided in DLs are similar to those provided in physical libraries, but

many are quite different. In part this is because the development of DLs has historically been

strongly influenced by the field of computer science (Levy, 2000), and as Pomerantz et al. (2003)

point out, the approaches to services taken by the fields of computer science (CS) and library and

information science (LIS) differ considerably. Specifically, as addressed in courses on DLs in CS

programs, services are generally system-focused (for example, search engines and linking), while

in LIS programs services are generally user-focused (like reference and personalization).

To date, a primary emphasis on digital library development and implementation was given to

technology (Chowdhury, 2002; Chowdhury and Chowdhury, 2003; Marchionini and Fox, 1999;

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Sloan, 1998; Van House et al., 2003). Major issues discussed in earlier studies focused on

technical architecture, digitization, and techniques of how to build a digital library with respect

to a system architecture, digital object creation and management, and so on (Arms et al., 1997;

Chen, 2000; Cleveland, 1998; McCray and Gallagher, 2001). However, a digital library is not

merely a means of access to information over the network. As long as “library” is attached to the

concept, a digital library does and should care about users and communities that are in need of

information and services just like conventional libraries. Services, therefore, should be one of the

crucial aspects of digital libraries. Marchionini and Fox (1999) pointed out four dimensions in

designing a digital library: community, technology, services, and content.

According to them, services reflect the functionality afforded by systems serving the community

of users. Such services include access, reference and question answering, on-demand help,

fostering of citizenship and literacy, and mechanisms to simplify participatory involvement of

user communities. Borgman (1999) also viewed digital library as combination of a service,

architecture, a set of information resources, and a set of tools to retrieve information resources.

However, most digital library projects so far mainly focused on offering search mechanism and

tools for information retrieval. As Smith (2000) and Chowdhury and Chowdhury (2000)

reported, various mechanisms and search features have been implemented for information

retrieval in digital library projects.

In addition to a search tool and various features, a digital library should include some types of

information services to support an interaction between materials and users’ needs, and to

promote learning using its collections. Librarians played a major role in providing services in the

context of users’ information seeking process. They assist and interact with users by answering

questions about materials, instructing them on how to use information, help them for research

purposes. Such conventional services are essential in a digital library environment as well.

Many experts (for example Fox and Urs, 2002; Harter, 1996; Marchionini, 1998; Noerr, 2003)

suggested several types of services necessary for digital libraries. Those suggested services can

be divided into two broad categories of services: traditional services and services unique to the

digital environment. Harter (1996) advocated that traditional library services such as ready

reference, help with search tools, access to and assistance with commercial search services, and

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so forth should be included in a digital library. Marchionini (1998) provided a list of service

types to be offered in a digital library, that is, search services, reference and question answering

services, filtering and SDI, and instruction. Fox and Urs (2002) offered some examples of

unconventional services including personalization, plagiarism detection, and analysis and

processing of digital information.

However, as Meyyappan et al. (2000) exposed in their review of prominent digital libraries in the

world, there was almost no provision for quality reference and information services in digital

libraries. Traditional reference services have evolved into a new application area, digital

reference services or virtual reference services with the use of software and the internet

(Chowdhury, 2002; Lankes, 2004; Sloan, 2001; Stemper and Butler, 2001). Many terms are used

to describe digital reference (Lankes, 2004). Wasik (1999) defined digital reference services as

“Internet-based question-and-answer services that connect users with experts in a variety of

subject areas.” A digital library can put such digital reference services in place since it is built on

the networking system.

Sloan (1998) and Janes (2003) described a number of experiments with extending reference

services into the networked world. Examples of this are e-mail reference, live chat reference,

instant messaging, desktop videoconferencing, and so on.

There are projects and collaborations among many libraries that provide digital reference

services (Chowdhury and Chowdhury, 2003; Janes, 2003). One of the CDRS projects is Question

Point, launched by the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/). Another professional

collaboration project is the VRD at Syracuse University, sponsored by the US Department of

Education (www.vrd.org). Sloan (2001) described the Ready for Reference project, a

collaborative 24/7 live reference service by eight academic libraries in the Alliance Library

System in Illinois. One of the ways for information dissemination used in traditional libraries is

current awareness such as distribution of the table of contents for all journals in their collection

to users. The main objective of current awareness is to provide users with up-to-date information.

With many technological features like mailing list software, such services can be offered to users

(Chu and Krichel, 2003). Chu and Krichel (2003) and Cruz et al. (2003) reported a model for

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current awareness service, NEP (New Economics Papers) for the RePEC (Research Papers in

Economics) digital library. They also introduced other projects on current awareness

development. An emerging trend in digital libraries to support users’ specific information needs

and preferred search and retrieval strategies is the personalization service. Based on users’

interest and characteristics, information on a digital library is automatically filtered and delivered

to users via a personalized interface. Some research projects on personalization service have

been implemented. Cohen (2000) reported a personalized electronic service project. With the

service, students, faculty, and staff can collect and organize resources for private use, and stay

informed of new resources provided by the library. Jayawardana et al. (2001a, b) introduced a

framework for personalized information environment (PIE) in which users can build

personalized views on library materials based on their interests and are able to organize the

collected information, annotate, modify, and integrate library sources as part of their knowledge

construction.

The researchers review on the aspect of digital library services is that libraries have made efforts

to better serve users with information and value-added services. They provide services both in a

traditional way and in an innovative way by applying technologies. Digital reference services

and some advanced services for personalization and interactivity have been implemented in

libraries and other organizations. While access services have been central in digital library

development and projects for personalization and interactivity have been implemented in digital

environments, it can be reported that little attention has been paid to other reference and

information services. With the evolution of new environments, a digital library should redefine

digital library services. Such services need to include both conventional and innovative types of

services. With well-designed services, digital libraries will be able to better serve their users and

community and streamline favorably with the increasing demands of the 21st century in relation

to information provision and effective dissemination.

2.4.2 Relevance attached to digital library development

The rise of an information economy has brought about an information age that is highly reliant

on information and communication technologies (ICTs) (Ngulube, 2004, p. 21). It is an age

where the survival and development of human kind are ultimately defined by the use, production,

and consumption of information. The African Information Initiative adopted the digital agenda in

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1996 in order to transform stagnating African economies (ECA, 1996, p. 9). In 2001, the 34th

session of the Commission for Africa reaffirmed that ICTs were key to the economic and social

development of the African continent (Ngulube, 2004). Digital libraries are organizations that

provide the resources, including specialized staff, to select, structure, offer intellectual access to,

interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of, and ensure the persistence over time collections of

digital works so that they are readily and economically available for use by a defined community

or set of communities (Waters, 1998; Digital Libraries Federation, 2002). The component

characteristics of digital libraries are the storage of information in digital form, direct usage of

communication networks for accessing, obtaining information, and copying by either

downloading or online/offline printing from a master file. According to Husler, traditional

libraries, which were known as repositories of knowledge, have hence become accessible in

database form; the internet and the web are making knowledge universal and linked

internationally. In summary, then, a digital library maintains all, or a substantial part, of its

collection in computer-possible form as an alternative, supplement, or complement to the

conventional printed and microfilm materials that currently dominate library collections. Digital

librarians, including those in Uganda, enable managing very large amounts of data, preserve

unique collections, provide faster access to information, facilitate dealing with data from more

than one location, and enhance distributed learning environments. Digital librarians also help to

perform searches that are manually not feasible and offer to protect the content of the owner’s

Several authors such as Magara (2002), Mutula (2002), McDonald and Kebbell (2004), Jain

(2006) and Rosenberg (2006) have written on the advantages of digital libraries. These

advantages make the creation of digital libraries a strategic method to enhance information

access in the Sub-Saharan region:

Digital libraries provide a faster method of accessing and exchanging information in all

sectors such as research, scholarship, medicine, government services and business.

Digital information can easily be shared and therefore is available to everybody, which is

a great improvement on print libraries, which require expensive duplication of material in

different locations.

Given their sinking cost of establishment, digital libraries can make it possible to provide

everybody even those in the remotest parts of the Sub-Sahara with information in its most

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up-to-date form. With a link to the information superhighway, libraries in the region even

the smallest and the remotest can serve as a gateway to local as well as global

information.

Digital libraries are available on 24-hour basis from anywhere in the world, offering

flexible arrangements for students, researchers, scholars and the community.

Digital libraries can be widespread and accessed as full text from any location or

workstation.

E-content is available on several subjects from a variety of sources such as libraries,

electronic publishers, and business organizations and in multimedia formats.

Information is readily available from offices, telecenters, laboratory homes without

creating a need to travel long distances to physical libraries, and homes without creating a

need to travel long distances to physical libraries.

Human development

Just as industrialization and globalization have increased the gulf between the haves and have-

nots, information and communications technology is creating a chasm between the “knows” and

“know-nots”. Witten et al. further observed that in the developing world, digital libraries provide

perhaps the first really compelling raison for computing technology. Five important areas where

digital libraries can promote human development include dissemination of human information,

disaster relief, preservation and propagation of indigenous culture, locally produced collections

of information and then, new opportunities to enter the global marketplace.

Dissemination of humanitarian information

Traditional publishing and distribution mechanisms have tragically failed the developing world.

A wealth of essential humanitarian material is produced by various international organizations.

Being produced by internationally oriented, non-profit organizations, funded by all people on the

planet, this information is, at least in principle, in the public domain: it could be made freely

available in the form of networked digital libraries.

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Disaster relief

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, and man-made ones such as terrorist attacks

or nuclear accidents, demand immediate and informed response in an environment where the

local infrastructure may be unpredictable or severely damaged. The response to a crisis is

characterized by the generation of large amounts of unstructured, multimedia data that must be

acquired, processed, organized and disseminated sufficiently rapidly to be of use to crisis

responders. Digital library technology allows organized collections of such information, graced

with comprehensive searching and browsing capabilities, to be created very rapidly. Intelligence

specific to the nature of a disaster, the geographical region and the logistic resources available

for the relief effort can be gathered into a built-to-order digital library collection that combines

targeted knowledge with general medical and sanitary information. A recent example is the

Tsunami wave that killed thousands of people in Asia and left millions homeless.

Preservation and propagation of indigenous culture

Information about indigenous culture takes many guises: oral history in the form of narration

and interviews; artifacts in the form of images and descriptions; songs in the form of audio

recordings, music transcriptions, and lyrics; dances and ceremonies in the form of video, audio,

written synopses, and interpretations. Multimedia digital libraries allow such information to be

integrated, recorded, browsed, and searched, within a uniform user interface. Because language

is the vehicle of thought, communication and cultural identity, a crucial feature of digital

libraries for culture preservation is the ability to work in local languages. This strengthens

individual cultures, promotes diversity and reduces the dominance of only a few languages.

Digital library applications in culture preservation have the advantage that the relevant

information is readily available locally. But there are countless other scenarios that involve

creating and distributing locally produced information collections. Teachers prepare educational

material that addresses specific community problems, and adapt published material to employ

local examples. Indigenous people have invaluable medicinal knowledge based on local plants or

long-acquired knowledge of the cultivation and protection of local species. Such knowledge is

vital: more than half of the world’s most frequently prescribed drugs are derived from plants or

synthetic copies of plant chemicals, and this trend is growing. Local groups assemble

information collections that describe and reflect neighborhood conditions, providing new

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material for socio-cultural studies, fostering cultural exchange while retaining diversity, and

increasing international understanding.

New opportunities to enter the global marketplace.

The varied demands of digital library development, such as manual metadata extraction,

collection organization, cataloging, and information presentation, expand the range of tasks that

the developing world can undertake, creating valuable new export markets. One of the most

important developments of recent years is the establishment of open archives and institutional

repositories. Preprints can be found there, as can electronic versions of dissertations, research

data, teaching materials, and increasingly also articles that have gone through peer review

processes. Rosenberg (2004) also sees the future market for scientific information and education

in electronic information repositories. She noted that the repositories are connected with one

another over global networks, and since they are based on public standards with digital libraries,

the users will be offered more convenient and quicker access to the required information.

The researchers review on the relevance of digital libraries is that Digital libraries are a key

technology especially for developing countries. They can assist human development by

providing a non-commercial mechanism for distributing humanitarian information on topics such

as health, agriculture, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and water supply, and other areas, ranging

from disaster relief to medical education. The electronic revolution coupled with improvements

in communication make it imperative to look beyond today and prepare for tomorrow. In order to

promote continuous upgrading of digital libraries in Uganda, there is need for a national

information policy to pave the way for the digital library era.

2.5 Challenges faced in digital library development

2.5.1 Challenges

The development of digital libraries is a very complex task confronting various challenges, many

of which are still subject to profound research. Largely dependent on the primary purpose and

the orientation of the project, is the selection of the material the repository shall be composed of.

Hereby, the source of the data is determined at first. On the basis of this, a policy has to be

declared, whether the material will be handled very selectively, forming a well-sorted collection,

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or rather gathered in an automatic fashion, resulting in a comprehensive archive. Installing

proper storage facilities is a prerequisite for a well working repository. Thereby, a robust and

capacious solution is required, but at the same time it needs to be flexible enough to adapt to

advances in technology. Digital data are prone to decay. This is not only due to physical

deterioration of the storage media used, but to a much greater extent caused by quick succession

of ever superior systems replacing hardware as well as software. Because of this evolution,

access to digital documents in the long run is at great danger. Strategies have to be developed to

counteract this loss of information.

Those involve converting data in regular cycles to a subsequent data format that is in use at that

time. Another approach sets out to emulate on a future computer then obsolete system

environments. However, great effort has still to be put into the research and implementation of

such solutions. Ultimately, access has to be provided to the depository. Allowing a convenient

and efficient usability of the collections constitute an ongoing task. Furthermore, economics and

legal issues demand consideration. Much remains to be done to achieve the realization of such a

venture. Yet, steps have to be taken immediately at a high priority taking into account what is at

stake. One of the key problems found in the digital library of the present and one that will persist

into the future is maintaining the match between the fluid content and its description in the

library, digital, or otherwise. There is already an emerging literature to point to the complexity

and difficulty in maintaining that match, and many conclude, for example, that web documents,

among the most ephemeral of digital material, may be too elusive for serious long-term

collecting (Koehler, 2002; Markwell and Brooks, 2002; Nelson and Allen, 2002; Rumsey, 2002).

Shiri (2003) identified some of the challenges related to the implementation, development, and

evaluation of digital libraries to be.

Digital content and collections

This category refers to individual digital objects and collections of objects in repositories

encompassing a variety of materials in different digital formats. Shiri (2003) observed that one

major challenge with regard to metadata is the diversity of digital information formats. The

author noted that there are challenges associated with digital content: for instance conversion of

printed materials into digital format and creation of digital-only materials for the purpose of a

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particular digital library. Digital collections require well-structured metadata schemes to describe

digital objects and content at various levels of granularity. Structural and descriptive metadata

are two general classes of metadata of particular relevance. Shiri (2003) propounded that one

major challenge with regard to metadata is the diversity of digital formats and the ways in which

they should be described in different collections with different target audience and uses. In the

electronic environment, institutions and individuals license access to content; they do not own

the containers that surround that content. Libraries have already found that they are limited in the

scope and range of patrons who may have access to their licensed collections. For example, some

academic libraries cannot allow people who are not part of their university access to certain

licensed electronic content. However, had that information been contained in purchased “paper”

journals, under the doctrine of first sale, there would be no issue. Indeed, given copyright and

contract provisions, most electronic material cannot be copied and transferred through

interlibrary loan (Koehler, 2004).

Interoperability and standards

Interoperability is one of the most heavily discussed issues in digital library research. Shiri

(2003) mentioned that the requirement for interoperability is derived from the fact that various

digital libraries with different architectures, metadata formats, and underlying technologies wish

to intellectually interact. The challenge, however, is that this can only be done through applying

a range of common protocols and standards. Standards within the context of digital libraries

encompass all protocols and conventional that has been set for the digital library architecture,

collections, metadata formats, interoperability, and so forth. For all digital libraries in the world

to have common standards is a big challenge particularly for the information scientist.

Knowledge organization systems, users and user ability. This category refers to a range of tools

used for knowledge organization, classification, and retrieval of knowledge in a general sense.

Shiri (2003) acknowledged that one of the challenges is the way in which these interact with

each other. Hilt (2002) mentioned that research is under way to investigate issues surrounding

mappings and interoperability among various knowledge organization systems. In order to

develop usable digital libraries, Shiri noted that researchers have addressed user behavior and

user requirements in different contexts including academic environments, schools, government

departments, and business. One of the challenges is associated with the methodologies and data

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gathering techniques. He observed that researchers have tried to use a combination of tools and

techniques to collect data for user evaluation. Legal, organizational, and social issues Rights

management, intellectual property, and copy right issues are all legal aspects of digital libraries.

Shiri (2003) intimated that social issues in relation to digital libraries center on the ways in which

people view digital libraries and their usefulness; and the extent to which they are integrated into

people’s lives and social activities. Every government must adopt common laws and procedures

so as to eliminate misuse and theft of information. Filtering systems should be used so that

genuine users are not inconvenienced. An information product is intellectual property (Thurow,

1997). The protection of intellectual property rights and privacy are the two areas the World

Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) seriously is concerned with. Its December 1996

Diplomatic Conference produced two treaties: the WIPO copyright treaty and WIPO treaty on

performances and phonograms. The first copyright treaty supplements the century-old Berne.

Staff education

Education and training are fundamental to the improvement of the preservation of digital

resources (Rosenberg, 2004, p. vi). Competency and expertise in managing digital resources

were identified in a study for the Research Libraries Group as major requirements. Kemoni and

Wamukoya identified lack of information skills due to inadequate training as one of the

impediments to the management of electronic records at Moi University in Kenya. Ngulube also

discovered that expertise in the field of digitization in Southern Africa was very limited. Ngulube

(2004) again noted that information studies programs in Africa did not reveal many modules that

specifically address preservation of information containers and digital preservation. A survey by

Liu on the subject of digital libraries in the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia revealed that some

course contents were not up to date in the field of library and information technology. Ngulube

(2004) emphasized that educators should bear in mind that rapid changes in information

management technologies and the preservation challenges presented by diverse media require

constant upgrading of knowledge and skills so that educators produce graduates who would be

comfortable with the demands of the digital age. The answer to this is in giving due emphasis to

in-house training.

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Infrastructure

Digital libraries depend on internet and intranet connections, yet there is no foolproof system to

prevent virus damage. A more serious obstacle is that network access varies widely across the

globe. Differences in technology between developed and developing countries persist. Whereas

in 1998 more than a quarter of the US population were surfing the internet, the figure for Latin

America and the Caribbean was 0.8 per cent, for Sub-Saharan Africa 0.1 per cent, and for South

Asia 0.04 per cent (UN, 1997). Schools and hospitals in developing countries are poorly

connected. Even in relatively well-off South Africa, many hospitals and 75 per cent of schools

have no telephone line. Universities are better equipped, but even there up to 1,000 people can

depend on just one terminal. The internet, as Arunachalam puts it, “is failing the developing

world”. While global satellite communication networks will eventually bring relief, this takes

time and money. The core issue of IT development is the objective of providing universal access,

in which libraries play a crucial role. Bringing internet access to all is a daunting task. Physical

distribution of information on recordable devices such as compact disk read-only memory is a

very practical format for areas with little internet access.

Language barrier and technology

Language is the embodiment of a culture and preservation of identity is important. There are

about 6,000 languages spoken in the world, and of these nearly 90 per cent are dying out. It is

estimated that just over half of the world’s population speak one of just five languages: Chinese,

English, Hindi, Russian, and Spanish. Uganda alone has over 50 languages. In the past, libraries

came into being at the behest of kings and nobles, and enjoyed aristocratic patronage. With the

change to a democratic political system, the responsibility fell on the government. The private

sector and the corporate sector especially, were not involved. Any contact was related to their

own concerns, not the development of libraries. Now the private sector, particularly in advanced

countries manufacturing internet related equipment, is in a position to extend both material and

financial support. Being the major producers of computer technology they are able to set up such

industries in developing countries. Developing countries could offer incentives such as tax

breaks, investment subsidies, and so on. This alone would help in reducing the cost of goods

needed for constructing a digital library. Unless this is achieved digital libraries and universal

knowledge will be restricted to the elite familiar with one of the major languages of the world.

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The challenge is to evolve a strategy so as to provide information in the language required by the

reader. While installed network software is easily detected, it is difficult to determine whether it

is operational. Incorrectly installed or configured software is endemic in developing countries,

because computers there are often cast-offs whose software is inappropriate to their present

environment, yet system support to rectify the problems is unavailable.

Sustainability for digital libraries

Sustainability has become a buzzword in the field of new library projects and developments

(Hamilton, 2004). As McArthur et al. (2003) say, in the digital library context, sustainability is a

broad term that refers to everything from technical issues about the digital preservation of

materials, to the social questions surrounding the long-term accessibility of resources to the

public at large. Traditional libraries may not regularly have to justify their existence but most,

these days, need to fight to maintain their budgets. The sustainability question arises so

frequently in the digital library world because digital initiatives tend to be introduced as special

projects. In many cases, insufficient thought has been given at the outset as to how they will turn

into long-term developments. And at times of economic pressure, when even the core is

questioned, anything else is vulnerable. The key to sustainability, therefore, is to reach a position

where the digital library is no longer regarded as an add-on, but as part of this integral core. The

answer may include being essential, or an integral, part of the organization. This is the status to

which digital libraries must aspire (Hamilton, 2004). Strategies for achieving sustainability of

digital libraries include economic sustainability, finding champions, funding sources, and self-

sustained growth.

Economic sustainability

Economic sustainability is a softer, more political area than preservation, and consequently

solutions are less tangible and concrete. Smith (2003) sums the position up as “the hardest part of

sustainability – how to pay for it all.” Hamilton (2004) states that there are no easy answers,

which is one reason why in the past so many digital library projects have blossomed briefly and

then withered. Hamilton (2004) recommended that one view is that more money should be spent

on sustaining services and less on initiating projects, but in most cases it is best to start from the

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premise that external funding obtained to establish a project will rarely be an appropriate source

to provide ongoing, unlimited funding for its continuation.

Finding champions

It is rare that a digital library project is so intrinsically valuable that the host institution is forced

to find funds for continuation. Hamilton (2004) suggests that one route towards backing the

“withering” trend is to ensure strong branding, linking a successful product with the institution.

The author advised that most projects require rallying support through conscious efforts to gain

champions beyond the immediate circles and this is where strong, ideally charismatic, project

leadership is important.

Funding sources

Sustainability options are categorized into subscription fees, charges for online courses,

sponsorship/endowments, and integration (Hamilton, 2004). He advised that combinations of any

of the four might be appropriate. Charging for access will be an option if charges would apply

for similar physical information. Charges may also be acceptable for added-value services where

basic services are free. Hamilton again stressed that if charges are deemed appropriate there are

two approaches: charge from the start or allow free access initially, then charge once the users

have been “hooked.” The author warned that the availability of so much free information on the

web does create a barrier to payment by individuals who have to be convinced of the value of the

particular information you are providing. If the payment will come from institutions rather than

individuals, it is important to consider the position of budget holders. For many, payment for a

new service will mean something else will have to be stopped. When dealing with academic

libraries, the situation is further complicated by the existence of a wide variety of budget control

systems ranging from fully devolved to fully centralized, so it can be difficult to target your

marketing. Sponsorship and in-kind support can take many forms and creativity may be required

to overcome institutional antipathy to and restrictions on advertising. Campbell gives examples

of varied sources of sponsorship for Australian subject gateways ranging from endorsement

through free publicity to solid financial support. In-kind contributions are often overlooked. As

Zorich points out, this can lead to problems if the contribution is withdrawn, and it also means

that organizations “cannot effectively use this support as evidence when funders seek tangible

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proof of outside financial commitments to a project.” Hamilton (2004) believes that integration is

the ultimate goal for many digital library project leaders. But it is hard to integrate a project once

its funding has run out. It is also hard to plan for such integration from the outset but this must be

the main approach. The formal business plan required by many funders should not be regarded as

one more bureaucratic hurdle but the passport to a successful, sustainable digital library.

Self-sustained growth

Libraries in developing countries in particular rely primarily on governmental funding. The

resource crisis has affected every field of activity. The problem is further confounded by the

increasing cost of books and periodicals in developed countries and the falling value of the

currencies of developing countries in the international market. Further periodic increases in

freight charges add to the strain on the already low budget allocations. Also, many public and

departmental libraries are understaffed. It is clear that relying on the government is not

conducive to self-sustained growth. Under these circumstances it is better to explore ways to

earn income so as to reduce dependence. This becomes all the more important in the context of

globalization. It is therefore essential that adequate thought is given to finding financial resources

for digital libraries and their upkeep.

2.5.2 Solutions to some of the challenges faced in the digital library development

The technological infrastructure

Computers are not so hard to come by in developing countries as one might think. Their

extraordinarily rapid rate of obsolescence, coupled with the developed world’s voracious appetite

for the latest and greatest, makes low-end machines essentially free: instead of clogging landfill

sites many (although certainly not enough) find their way to developing countries. A 1998 World

Bank survey of developing countries found three to 30 PCs per 1,000 people, depending on the

poverty level (World Bank, 2000). With growth predicted at 20 per cent per year, it was

estimated that by the year 2000 there were 50 million PCs in developing countries, serving a

population of four billion!

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Distributed collections

Electronic collectibles have become more commonplace (Koehler, 2004). Vendors,

consolidators, and publishers are providing more and more content either directly to end-users or

to end-users through libraries in electronic format. More monograph and serial titles are being

offered to institutional and individual subscribers in either electronic format only or in print and

electronic format. If the catalog is in digital format, the target object may or may not also be in

similar format. Digitized content can be and very frequently is transmitted directly to the end-

user on demand from the catalog (Koehler, 2004). When libraries and individuals purchase

information objects they own the container but not the content. Content ownership resides with

the copyright holder. Nevertheless, as owners of the container, we may transfer the title to the

container or lend it to others. We also have limited rights to copy the content. In the digital

environment, where the concept of container is very different and content is licensed, the rules

have changed.

User behavior

Studies have shown that students would like smaller digital portable systems rather than carry

too many printed books, although this may be in addition to the printed books. Lynch (2001)

predicted that users would carry their digital library in their pocket. In that case, their pocket may

actually become a digital wearable system for that purpose. Nokia’s research center, for example,

had the idea of “virtual pockets” for some time (Lehikoinen, 2000), but the notion has not yet

affected libraries. Koehler (2004) observed that the youngest generation of end-users has already

learned to search for information independently. They learn and research in groups, move in

parallel in diverse virtual worlds and wait impatiently 24 hours a day, all over the world, for

immediate unlimited access to relevant information (in full text). Koehler (2004) advised that in

order to satisfy these demands, issue-oriented, extremely fast and highly effective, flexible

search and retrieval systems are necessary. Librarians can make a contribution here by increasing

the information skills of the library users, supporting the process of electronic learning, and by

getting involved in creating electronic archives and improving their profile and access.

The researchers’ review of the challenges and solutions faced in the development of digital

libraries is that concerned authorities should be cautioned that embarking on the process, it is a

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multitask activity but above all preliminary planning is ideal. Digital Library development entails

policy initiation, setting priorities and planning. These are challenging tasks for the management.

The library management needs to consult libraries that had digitized their materials so as to learn

from their experiences. This will guide a lot while formulating policies on the digital project. A

planning committee has to be set up. It is the responsibility of this committee to draw plans and

budget for the project. The library management will also need to prioritize the different activities

involved and assign each task to a committee. Time limits should be assigned for completion of

each task. Also pertinent to note is that, the task of carrying along all the staff and guiding library

users can be challenging. Some of the staff will like to resist change, particularly those that are

not computer literate. It is essential for the library management to explain the essence of the

project to them and arrange to retrain the employees so that they can participate in the project

and remain functional in a digital library. Some of the library users will definitely find it difficult

to search for materials in the digital terrain. It is good for library assistants to be available to

render assistance. Orientation programs can be organized for these library users from time to

time. This is very essential in the selected University Libraries where the users can be many and

are also regular.

It can be said that digital libraries can assist human development by providing a non-commercial

mechanism for distributing humanitarian information on topics such as health, agriculture,

nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and water supply, and other areas, ranging from disaster relief to

medical education. The proliferation of computers, the robust architecture and the geographical

distribution of the internet revolution coupled with improvements in communication make it

essential to look beyond today and prepare for tomorrow. In order to promote continuous

upgrading of traditional libraries in selected University in Uganda, there is need for a national

information policy to lay concrete on the way for the digital library development.

l

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This chapter shall present the methods and procedures that will be used to get results out of what

shall contain as research findings of the study. It will present or give information on research

design, population of the study, target population of the study, sample size, sampling technique,

data collection methods, research instruments, research procedure, quality control, validity of the

study, reliability, data analysis, ethical considerations, limitations of the study and solutions.

3.1 Research Design

A qualitative research approach will be the research design used to identify detailed information

on and about the study of development of digital libraries. This approach shall be preferred

because data that will be collected will be textual and thorough descriptions shall be used to

explain the outcomes on a particular objective.

3.2 Population and Sampling

The researcher will use qualified libraries most especially those at the top management level and

if need be possessing great knowledge about digital library operations and development as

population of the study and probability sampling will be used in the process of selecting units for

example, people or respondents from the population of the study in that by studying the sample,

the researcher will be able to fairly generalize the results back to the population from which they

will be chosen.

3.2.1 Target PopulationThis study will use Library and Information Science professionals and individuals who are

knowledgeable in the development aspects of digital libraries as target population of the study.

3.2.2 Sample Size

The research is expecting to a population of 30 people, 10 selected to represent others on each of

the three of the University libraries to be used as the research case studies. They will include;

KYU Barclays Library, MUBS Library and NDEJJE University Library, Kampala campus.

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3.2.3 Sampling Technique

The research will be base on the simple random sampling method. The research will randomly

have to select the respondents who will have the task of filling the questionnaires and others

requested to attend the interview depending on the time aspect and how busy the respondents

shall be and their consent.

3.3 Data collection Methods

The data collection methods shall comprise of: the interview method (direct interviews,

questionnaire method), observation method and literature search;

Interview Method

The research shall use the direct interview and questionnaire method as techniques under the

interview method. Direct interviews will be carried out to supplement on the information that is

expected to be got from the use questionnaires. However, that will be done by use an interview

guide.

Questionnaire Method

Simple and brief questions from the research objectives will be formulated to guide in the

process of data collection. The questions to be formulated will be dedicated to the knowledge

librarians and other staff with the advent of the enough knowledge about digital library

development.

Observation Method

The researcher is expectant to use his eyes to observe pertinent aspects about the research

problem. This will however serve as supplementary avenue to confirm the data responses by the

research population.

Literature Search

Viable sources of the literature and related information about digital library development is

expected to be derived from various information resources including but not limited to:

textbooks, encyclopedias, periodicals, Internet, conference proceedings, research papers lecture

notice, newspapers and a like.

3.3.1 Research Instruments

The data collection instruments are expected to comprise of the interview guide and the

questionnaire guide.

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Interview Guide

The interview guide is expected to contain simple and short questions relating to the research

objectives and research questions.

Questionnaire Guide

The researcher is expectant to use the questionnaire tool for gathering data; this will comprise of

both open and closed ended format questions. This tool is expected to serve as the main or chief

source of information because the respondents will be given chance to express whole heartedly

their feelings and contributions towards the research problem without the researchers

interference.

3.3.2Research Procedure

Data that will be gathered from the field / study will undergo the a routine testing and processing

using the textual format, frequencies and percentages will be drawn to represent findings of the

study. Data will then be put in tables and textual form. This will eventually be used to present

and explain data in tables.

3.4 Quality Control

Internet

The internet is expected to provide relevant information about the research problem. This will

give the researcher enough strength of conducting the survey about digital library development.

Authentic Sources

The researcher will consult viable textbooks, encyclopedias, research proceedings, periodicals,

and online databases, lecture notice in order to get and compile the related literature to the topic

of study.

3.4.1 Validity

Validity will determine whether the research truly measures to what it was intended to measure

or how truthful the research results will be. The validity of the research will be determined by

asking a series of questions to respondents, in comparison with the information given or

presented in answers of the previous research of others related to digital library development.

3.4.2 Reliability

Reliability of the study will be maintained by applying similar methodology and data collection

techniques at different places of the study geographical scope / case study places. This will

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however help to measure the extent to which results to be presented is consistent over time and

an accurate representation of the total population under study.

3.5 Data Analysis

After data processing and presentation, data will be analyzed and proof read for errors. However,

the analysis will be based on the research objectives and research questions. Data will be

analyzed manually but following the ethics of research operations.

3.6 Ethical Considerations

Introductory Letter / Letter of permission

An introductory letter from the research coordinator of the EASLIS, CoSIS Makerere University

will legally permit the researcher to carry out the pre- test of the study. This will enable the

researcher ponder primary visits to all places which will comprise as pertinent case sources for

the research without fear of being ruled out by the concerned authorities.

Honesty

Honesty will be maintained in the reporting of data, results, methods, procedures and publication

status. This research study shall not to fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data to the colleagues,

granting agencies and the public at large.

Integrity

All promises and agreements of this research undertaking will be done with sincerity keeping on

track with consistency of thought and action.

Openness

Outcomes of this research will be shared in terms of data, ideas, tools resources and widely open

to criticisms and new ideas.

Respect of intellectual property

This research proposal will honor patents, copyright and other forms of intellectual property. UN

published data, methods, or results without permission will not be considered at all. Credit shall

be given by acknowledging and citing the responsible authors behind the knowledge and

information to be reported about digital library development.

3.7 Limitations of the study and solutions

3.7.1 Limitations

The researcher will face some of the following as limitations of the study;

liv

Data inaccessibility as a result of some respondents being hesitant to reveal out relevant

information towards the research findings. This will however limit the scope of the study.

UN anticipated occurrences that may come up and prevent the researcher from doing the

proposal and hand in according to the academic schedule.

Prevention by the recommended authorities from accessing viable sources and

respondents who will help out in the provision of rightful information about the notion of

digital library development and this will impend on the validity of study.

3.7.2 Solutions

Being honest and open-minded to respondents will enable the researcher have close

dialogue and interaction with the viable respondents, an avenue to help the researcher get

farfetched information about the notion of digital library development.

Early and effective communication with the course tutor and supervisor will help the

researcher iron out the limitation of UN anticipated out comes.

The researcher will ensure that integrity is maintained and advances will be made to

assure the respondents that the research findings will be kept as secret in order to

rejuvenate the recommended authorities and respondents to give their all without fear or

favor of letting information spread to the public. These will however enable the

researcher achieve the validity and the reliability of the study.

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APPENDIX A: PROPOSED BUDGET

No. Item Description Quantity Unit Cost Estimated

amount ug shs

1. Stationery

1. Photocopying

2. Writing

Materials

3. Flash disk

4 reams

2 writing pads

and pens

4GB Flash disk

10000

15000

45000

40000

15,000

45,000

lxvii

2. Personnel

1. Research

Assistant

2. Typist

6 Assistants

1Typist

30000

20000

180,000

20000

3. Travel

1. To the 3 places

of study

5Times 6000 30,000

4. Consultancy

1. Data Analysis Twice 25000 50000

4. Miscellaneous 45000

5. Sub total = 151,000

6. Total Ug shs. 425,000≠

APPENDIX B: WORKPLANNo. Phase / Activity Time / Month Dates 2011 / 2012

1. Proposal Development 1 Month 17-17 December 2011

2. Piloting Instruments 3 weeks 17-07 January 2012

3. Data Collection 2 Weeks 18-01 February 2012

4. Data Analysis and

Interpretation

3 Weeks 02-22 February 2012

5. Final Report Word 2 Months 23-23 April 2012

lxviii

processing

6. Proof Reading 2 Weeks 24-04 May 2012

7. Revising for Exams 2 months May-June 2012

8. Submission 2 Months 28 June 2012