Creating a personal digital library

 Overview

It is admirable to have your own collection in your home office or at your university residence for reference or for personal reading. Imagine having access to your favorite book any time you get a chance to read a few pages, whether you are on a bus, taxi, or train. Get some free space in your room by selling your old books! No worries about losing the information, digitize your books and store them in your computer or external hard drive, or even cloud storage for easy access. 

Digitization process

Registering. you will obviously need to keep a record of your book before selling it. you will need software like Microsoft Access to create your own database, but if you have limited computer skills, Excel will do the trick. Include all the relevant details about the book, ISBN, Author, Title, Publisher, Place, Year, etc. 

Scanning. after capturing full details of the book scanning must begin. you do not necessarily need sophisticated software to perform a scan. Your phone camera and a light room will do. you will require scanning software that will allow you to create a document out of your scanned images. I have created a short video, using Microsoft Lens, to demonstrate how to scan a document.

You can do this process to as many books as you need to, journals, photos, and newspapers can be digitized too!!

Like you would do in a physical library, it is important to sort and arrange your material in an easily accessible manner. you can save your content in folders and links for easy retrieval. 

This was a small demonstration for a simple private library collection, Specialized software and hardware for scanning and storage is required when creating a much bigger digital library. Share your comments on digitalization. 

Digital Libraries and Repositories

Overview

Imagine paying a library fine because you lost a book, or you simply forgot the return date or time. What about those evenings when you just want to enjoy your favorite novel or finish up your research and your local library has already closed its gates? Your answer lies in digital libraries and repositories. A library in a user's palm of a hand, any user equipped with a smartphone, tablet, or computer with internet access can download and share books, journals, audio, video, and other material that brick-and-mortar libraries offer at their sites.

Digital libraries and repositories have no physical location, the content is stored in databases and accessed through a digital library's website 24/7. Digital libraries (see image above) offer a variety of materials to all kinds of patrons, while repositories are subject-specific. It can be made up of content from different people interested in one topic or subject. 

the above image is an illustration of a digital repository where medical specialists in behavioral and brain sciences find and share information. 

Benefits

The impact of digital libraries is so great, some books were never published as hard copies. Born digital media they call it, users can download, and have them printed should they require a physical copy. On the bright side, physical copies of books can be converted to e-books, and the software is easily downloadable on smartphones, PCs, and tablets. available for, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The images are clear you can hardly see it is a scan. 

A huge advantage of compatibility, you can carry thousands of books on your mobile device or PC, without taking any weight!! Access to books, journals, and other digital publications has no time limit.

Drawbacks 

Power cuts in South Africa mean the disruption of the services of digital libraries. the bandwidth of the network is slow in some parts of the country. not everyone has the infrastructure to access the services of digital libraries. there is also limited access to some material that is offered. a fee or membership may be required to get access to some of the material. 

Drop your comments about your experiences with digital libraries and repositories. let us hear your thoughts!!!!!!

Brick-and-Mortar

Overview

"Nothing beats a fresh smell of a book, air conditioning, and a silent, peaceful space", those are the words of an old library patron at eThekwini municipality, KwaZulu Natal. Just one of the leverages that brick-and-mortar libraries provide. From conference rooms, book exhibitions, study rooms, community development meetings, and programs, to the internet and computers, a lot is happening inside these libraries.

(Photo by: Pinterest)

Libraries Today

Technology has created a great shift in the scope of service that brick-and-mortar libraries provide communities. Ranganathan's fifth law recognizes the library as a growing organism. Video/and audio material is now available, not to mention computers where patrons can type their CVs, print, and browse the internet for information and job search, at NO FEE. no more wasted hours searching the whole building for a book, thanks to dedicated computer programs like OPAC that provide users with super search capabilities. There are also fun activities for children too!!!

(Photo by: NTIA)

The internet and the evolution of digital libraries seem to be a threat that might render brick-and-mortar libraries extinct, share your memories and views on how we can save our libraries