Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World

Isaias Barreto da Rosa; David Ribeiro Lamas

doi:doi:10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World

Isaias Barreto da Rosa, David Ribeiro Lamas

Published in Education Journal (Volume 2, Issue 5)

Received: 23 August 2013 Published: 20 September 2013

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Abstract

Given the several problems faced by developing countries on their struggle to access print-based publications, digital libraries are seen as the great hope as they enable access to a vast panoply of resources, anytime and anywhere. However, building such libraries in developing countries is a real challenge since these countries usually face several difficulties, such as low computer and Internet penetration rates, poor ICT infrastructures, lack of qualified human resources, lack of financial resources, etc. Thus, it is imperative finding alternative mechanisms of building and accessing digital libraries that best fit the specificities of these countries. It is also important to understand how digital libraries are used in these contexts. This paper features the process used for building a digital library in a developing country, characterized by scarce access to print-based publications and serious difficulties in accessing ICT resources. The challenges, the solutions and the adopted methodological framework are highlighted and can be useful for other digital library projects in the developing world. The paper also presents a comparative study on the usage of the created digital library when compared with a traditional library with the same content, and introduces a user study on the possibility of using mobile phones for accessing digital libraries in this context.

Published in	Education Journal (Volume 2, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
Page(s)	192-202
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Digital Libraries, Developing Countries, Mobile Digital Libraries

References

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Isaias Barreto da Rosa, David Ribeiro Lamas. (2013). Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Education Journal, 2(5), 192-202. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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Isaias Barreto da Rosa; David Ribeiro Lamas. Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Educ. J. 2013, 2(5), 192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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AMA Style

Isaias Barreto da Rosa, David Ribeiro Lamas. Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Educ J. 2013;2(5):192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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@article{10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12,
  author = {Isaias Barreto da Rosa and David Ribeiro Lamas},
  title = {Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World},
  journal = {Education Journal},
  volume = {2},
  number = {5},
  pages = {192-202},
  doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20130205.12},
  abstract = {Given the several problems faced by developing countries on their struggle to access print-based publications, digital libraries are seen as the great hope as they enable access to a vast panoply of resources, anytime and anywhere. However, building such libraries in developing countries is a real challenge since these countries usually face several difficulties, such as low computer and Internet penetration rates, poor ICT infrastructures, lack of qualified human resources, lack of financial resources, etc. Thus, it is imperative finding alternative mechanisms of building and accessing digital libraries that best fit the specificities of these countries. It is also important to understand how digital libraries are used in these contexts. This paper features the process used for building a digital library in a developing country, characterized by scarce access to print-based publications and serious difficulties in accessing ICT resources. The challenges, the solutions and the adopted methodological framework are highlighted and can be useful for other digital library projects in the developing world. The paper also presents a comparative study on the usage of the created digital library when compared with a traditional library with the same content, and introduces a user study on the possibility of using mobile phones for accessing digital libraries in this context.},
 year = {2013}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World
AU  - Isaias Barreto da Rosa
AU  - David Ribeiro Lamas
Y1  - 2013/09/20
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
T2  - Education Journal
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JO  - Education Journal
SP  - 192
EP  - 202
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2619
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AB  - Given the several problems faced by developing countries on their struggle to access print-based publications, digital libraries are seen as the great hope as they enable access to a vast panoply of resources, anytime and anywhere. However, building such libraries in developing countries is a real challenge since these countries usually face several difficulties, such as low computer and Internet penetration rates, poor ICT infrastructures, lack of qualified human resources, lack of financial resources, etc. Thus, it is imperative finding alternative mechanisms of building and accessing digital libraries that best fit the specificities of these countries. It is also important to understand how digital libraries are used in these contexts. This paper features the process used for building a digital library in a developing country, characterized by scarce access to print-based publications and serious difficulties in accessing ICT resources. The challenges, the solutions and the adopted methodological framework are highlighted and can be useful for other digital library projects in the developing world. The paper also presents a comparative study on the usage of the created digital library when compared with a traditional library with the same content, and introduces a user study on the possibility of using mobile phones for accessing digital libraries in this context.
VL  - 2
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Isaias Barreto da Rosa

Institute of Informatics, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
David Ribeiro Lamas

Institute of Informatics, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

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APA Style

Isaias Barreto da Rosa, David Ribeiro Lamas. (2013). Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Education Journal, 2(5), 192-202. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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ACS Style

Isaias Barreto da Rosa; David Ribeiro Lamas. Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Educ. J. 2013, 2(5), 192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

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AMA Style

Isaias Barreto da Rosa, David Ribeiro Lamas. Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World. Educ J. 2013;2(5):192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12,
  author = {Isaias Barreto da Rosa and David Ribeiro Lamas},
  title = {Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World},
  journal = {Education Journal},
  volume = {2},
  number = {5},
  pages = {192-202},
  doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20130205.12},
  abstract = {Given the several problems faced by developing countries on their struggle to access print-based publications, digital libraries are seen as the great hope as they enable access to a vast panoply of resources, anytime and anywhere. However, building such libraries in developing countries is a real challenge since these countries usually face several difficulties, such as low computer and Internet penetration rates, poor ICT infrastructures, lack of qualified human resources, lack of financial resources, etc. Thus, it is imperative finding alternative mechanisms of building and accessing digital libraries that best fit the specificities of these countries. It is also important to understand how digital libraries are used in these contexts. This paper features the process used for building a digital library in a developing country, characterized by scarce access to print-based publications and serious difficulties in accessing ICT resources. The challenges, the solutions and the adopted methodological framework are highlighted and can be useful for other digital library projects in the developing world. The paper also presents a comparative study on the usage of the created digital library when compared with a traditional library with the same content, and introduces a user study on the possibility of using mobile phones for accessing digital libraries in this context.},
 year = {2013}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Building and Using Digital Libraries in the Developing World
AU  - Isaias Barreto da Rosa
AU  - David Ribeiro Lamas
Y1  - 2013/09/20
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
T2  - Education Journal
JF  - Education Journal
JO  - Education Journal
SP  - 192
EP  - 202
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2619
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12
AB  - Given the several problems faced by developing countries on their struggle to access print-based publications, digital libraries are seen as the great hope as they enable access to a vast panoply of resources, anytime and anywhere. However, building such libraries in developing countries is a real challenge since these countries usually face several difficulties, such as low computer and Internet penetration rates, poor ICT infrastructures, lack of qualified human resources, lack of financial resources, etc. Thus, it is imperative finding alternative mechanisms of building and accessing digital libraries that best fit the specificities of these countries. It is also important to understand how digital libraries are used in these contexts. This paper features the process used for building a digital library in a developing country, characterized by scarce access to print-based publications and serious difficulties in accessing ICT resources. The challenges, the solutions and the adopted methodological framework are highlighted and can be useful for other digital library projects in the developing world. The paper also presents a comparative study on the usage of the created digital library when compared with a traditional library with the same content, and introduces a user study on the possibility of using mobile phones for accessing digital libraries in this context.
VL  - 2
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download