Digital library Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital library - Speech or Presentation Example The traditional library is one that contains books and information sources in print form or as physical units. This is not the case with digital libraries where the information is stored electronically. There are several advantages and disadvantages of the traditional library. Using information sources in print or physical format limits the use of a particular resource to only a few individuals at a time. Furthermore, the cost of purchasing printed sources is high and they occupy a lot of space. Yet again, it is quite easy for printed sources to get damaged or destroyed due to careless use or in case of fires. The sources can also be stolen from the library or from those who borrow them. However, using sources in this form does not necessitate the purchase of equipment such as computers or the use of Internet. Traditional Versus Digital Libraries Most, if not al the disadvantages of the traditional library have been overcome by the digital library. Storing books in digital format mak es them easy to access. Access in this respect is not limited to a few people but is possible for use almost by an unlimited number of people across the world at the same time. In this respect, digitization overcomes as well the restrictions imposed by distance and physical boundaries to library users. In this sense it makes it possible for academicians to undertake distance studies without the need to physically travel to specific locations. Another major importance of having documents or files stored in digital format is in respect to availability in time. When books and periodicals are stored electronically, their access is not limited to certain times of the day r night. Furthermore, searching sources is made quite easy, less space is used for storage and preservation and conservation of the sources can be done for an unlimited amount of time. Digitization of the sources may also help in improving their value in so far as display and sound quality is concerned. This is so becaus e flaws may be removed from the sources electronically before they are finally stored for public or private use. Content of information sources The information stored in e-books is usually quite much the same as that in hardcover sources. E-books have the added advantage in that flaws that are inherent in them can be corrected easily without additional costs to users. The credibility of sources do not much depend on the format in which they are stored or accessed but on factors such as authors, publishers and level of currency. In this respect, a hardcover book is as much credible and of similar quality as its electronic counterpart. In some cases, there are different versions of editions of one source. In such a situation, it is better to choose the most recent version based on the year of publication. Terms of accessing digitized sources and their Price In order to access digitized sources, clients normally have to pay some form of subscription or buy the book altogether. In most cases, subscriptions run for a predefined period of time which may be extended upon addition of subscription fees. The prices of e-books compared to hardcover books currently are almost equal. However, it is predicted that the prices of e-boo