What is a Digital Library?

What is a Digital Library?

A digital library is a type of library in which a significant portion of its resources can be accessed in a computerized environment and data in computerized formats other than print or microfilm.

Some large libraries are digitizing their books to facilitate the accessibility of their books to a wider audience.

Advantages

While traditional libraries have limited space, digital libraries have the potential to hold much more information because digital information occupies much less physical space.

At the same time, the cost of keeping a digital library open is much lower than a traditional library. For a small fee, digital libraries can store and rent data much more easily than traditional libraries.

Removal of physical boundaries: Digital library users do not have to go to the library. They can access data from almost any part of the world via an internet connection.

Accessibility at any time: People can access information at any time of the day or night.

Multiple access: Many users can benefit from the same source at the same time.

Structural approach: Digital libraries provide access to a much richer content. For example, a specific book and the relevant section can be accessed more easily from a specific catalog.

Access to information: The user can access an entire collection at the click of a button, using any term or phrase.

Storage and preservation: The original copy may lose its quality with many uses. Digital libraries do not face this problem because the information is digitized.

Space: While traditional libraries have a limited space for information resources, no matter how large they are, digital libraries can hold much more information with the advantage of the digital environment.

Network: A given digital library can easily network with other digital libraries.

Cost: In theory, a digital library is much cheaper to maintain than a traditional library.