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The purpose of the Library Digital Initiative
is to create an infrastructure to support the "collecting"
of digital resources at Harvard similar to the infrastructure
the libraries have long had for the collecting of research
resources in other formats. "Infrastructure" is defined broadly
to include not just automated systems, but also staff expertise
and service facilities. The intent of the Initiative is twofold:
- for libraries, to reduce the complexity
inherent today in making digital research materials available;
- for library users, to make University's
digital "collection" as well organized and accessible as
the libraries have always tried to make traditional collections.
Harvard's libraries have been acquiring digital
materials for some time. The University's decentralization,
however, means that in the natural course of things these
separate acquisitions would involve overlapping and uncoordinated
solutions to the technical and organizational challenges of
digital collections.The Library Digital Initiative will address
these issues in a general, sophisticated, and coordinated
way.
Many other institutions have established new,
separate facilities to develop their digital collections.
Harvard's Initiative is consciously constructed on a different
model: the integration of digital resources into the existing
library structure. While there are many exciting developments
happening in the area of electronic information that will
be important for the students and scholars of Harvard, the
University has existing traditional collections of enormous
wealth, and will continue for the foreseeable future to collect
significant new materials in traditional formats. Integrated
access to our "collections", regardless of format, is a key
aim of the Library Digital Initiative.
The initiative is a five-year effort, internally
funded by the University. We have identified three areas of
program activity that comprise the main categories for the
web site: Advisory Services, Technical Development, and the
Grant Program. In addition, general information and news are
provided in the About LDI category. Information about a number
of demonstration projects, including pilot projects, collaborative
efforts and experiments is found in the Related Projects section
of Technical Development.
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