On Overview About Digital Library

S. Deepadharshini

II B.Sc.(Mathematics), Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal college, Sivakasi,


Dr.K. Meena


Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College,
Sivakasi,


ABSTRACT


Digital libraries have revolutionized access to information, expanding the scope of
traditional libraries beyond physical boundaries. This abstract aims to explore the concept of
a digital library and its impact on information access and retrieval. Also, it deals with the
Tamil related digital libraries. One key advantage of digital libraries is their capacity to
overcome the limitations of physical space and time. Users can access resources remotely,
eliminating the need to visit a physical library, and allowing for round-the-clock availability.


Keywords: Digital Library, Access Network, E-Books

INTRODUCTION


Digital libraries are collections of electronic resources, such as books, journals,
articles, images, and videos, that are organized and accessible through a digital interface.
Digital libraries enable remote access, fast search and retrieval, and preservation of cultural
heritage, but also require copyright compliance, metadata management, and user
authentication. It have transformed the way information is accessed, retrieved, and shared.
With their vast collections, enhanced search capabilities, and promotion of collaboration, they
have become indispensable resources. As a result, digital libraries promote equal access to
information, bridging the divide between different regions and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The visions of the digital library were largely realized a century later during the great
expansion of the Internet. An early example of a digital library is the Education Resources
Information Center (ERIC), a database of education citations, abstracts and texts that was
created in 1964 and made available online through DIALOG in 1969. In 1994, digital
libraries became widely visible in the research community. The term digital library was first
popularized by the NSF/DARPA/NASA Digital Libraries Initiative in 1994.


TAMIL VIRTUAL ACADEMY.


Tamil Virtual Academy (TVA) is an online platform that offers courses, resources,
and tools related to the Tamil language and culture. It was founded in 2001 by the Tamil
Nadu government with the aim of promoting the Tamil language and preserving its rich
cultural heritage. TVA offers a wide range of online courses, including basic and advanced
Tamil language courses, spoken Tamil, literature, grammar, and poetry. The academy also
conducts research on the Tamil language, collects and publishes Tamil literature, and
provides resources for e-learning in Tamil. TVA has become a prominent platform for Tamil
language learners and enthusiasts around the world, providing them with access to highquality resources and learning opportunities.
The digital library of tamilnadu virtual university provides literature, glossaries and
dictionaries. It accommodates literature starting from Sangam era to the present day, with the
following features:

Classified sections of books.

  • Nigandu, Agarāthi
  • Ancient and medieval literature, with their commentaries.
  • Romanized versions of Tolkappiyam, Patthuppaattu and Ettutthogai.

The library has subject-indexing and search facilities.


Tamil Nadu Digital Library (TNDL)


Tamil Nadu Digital Library (TNDL) is an initiative by the Government of Tamil
Nadu to digitize and preserve the rich cultural and literary heritage of Tamil Nadu. It was
launched in 2005 with the objective of creating a digital repository of Tamil literature,
manuscripts, rare books, and other cultural artifacts. TNDL offers a vast collection of
digitized books, magazines, newspapers, journals, and other publications in the Tamil
language.The digital library has collaborated with various institutions and organizations to
digitize their collections, making them accessible to a wider audience. Users can access the
digital content through the TNDL website, which provides a user-friendly interface, advanced
search options, and features for downloading and printing digitized materials.
TNDL also conducts awareness programs, workshops, and training sessions to
promote digital literacy and facilitate research and learning using the digital library resources.
The initiative has played a significant role in preserving Tamil literature and making it easily
accessible to people all over the world, ensuring that the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu is
not lost to time.The Tamil Digital Library enables the students to encourage the use of Ebooks and share the resources available in all Colleges and Universities of Tamil Nadu round
the clock. This is a free digital library. It is also to establish digital repositories and provides
possibilities for the students to have around the clock remote accessing through login and IP
enabled internet facility.


Tamil Nadu Library Access Network :


The Tamil Nadu Library Access Network (TNLAN) is a project initiated by the
Government of Tamil Nadu to establish a network of libraries across the state. The objective
of TNLAN is to promote collaboration, resource-sharing, and digital connectivity among
libraries in Tamil Nadu.TNLAN aims to create a unified platform where users can access the collections of
various libraries, whether they are government libraries, academic institutions, public
libraries, or special libraries. The project focuses on digitizing and preserving library
materials, including books, journals, manuscripts, and other resources, to make them easily
accessible to the public.
The network enables users to search for and access materials from multiple libraries
through a common online catalog or portal. It also facilitates inter-library loan services,
where users can borrow materials from one library and return them to another.
TNLAN also provides training programs, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives
to enhance the skills of librarians and improve library services across the state. The project
aims to strengthen the library infrastructure, enhance information access, and promote a
culture of reading and learning in Tamil Nadu.
Overall, TNLAN plays a crucial role in connecting libraries in Tamil Nadu, fostering
collaboration, and improving access to knowledge and information for the people of the
state.It enables the faculty and students to have interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
approach of teaching learning by having integrated access to the content with national and
international standards. After implementation of the scheme, all University libraries and
affiliated Institutions in Tamil Nadu can be brought under a networked called Tamil Nadu
Library Access Network. With the distribution of laptop without cost to students, the benefits
of issue of laptop to the students will also be multiplied with creation of Networked Digital
Library System.
It is used to analyse the overall contributions of the State Universities in TNDL
Digital Repository and also used to find out the Book catalogue of the various subjects of the
Universities. It shows the various types of e-resources contributed by the Universities and to
identify the catalogue on various subjects deposited individual University.
Digital libraries can provide users with access to rare and out-of-print materials that
might difficult or impossible to locate in physical libraries. Digital libraries also offer a
variety of search and sorting features, as well as social media-like features that can connect
users with others to discuss topics. Digital libraries play a crucial role in enhancing the
learning experience, facilitating equitable access to educational resources for students, and
supporting teachers in delivering effective instruction.
Moreover, digital libraries often facilitate collaborative research and knowledge
sharing. Users can annotate resources, highlight specific passages, and share their findings
with others, fostering engagement and collaboration in the academic and scholarly
communities. Additionally, digital libraries promote the preservation of cultural heritage and
historical documents by digitizing fragile and rare materials, ensuring their long-term
accessibility and preventing physical degradation.
IV. DRAWBACKS OF DIGITAL LIBRARIES
Digital libraries, or at least their digital collections, also have brought their own
problems and challenges in areas such as

  • User authentication for access to collections
  • Copyright
  • Digital preservation
  • Equity of access
  • Interface design
  • Interoperability between systems and software
  • Information organization
  • Inefficient or non-existent taxonomy practices
  • Training and development
  • • Quality of metadata
  • • Exorbitant cost of building/maintaining the terabytes of storage, servers, and
  • redundancies necessary for a functional digital collection

FUTURE RECOMMENDATION

Awareness about the TNDL project must be created among the Library
professionals, the Teachers, and the Users. Training for the Library Professionals should be given regularly. The participating Universities should share their resources with other Universities. Updates by means of depositing the recent digital contents should be done
regularly. It should become a mandatory to purchase e-resources commonly for all Universities.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the advent of digital libraries has revolutionized the accessibility and
retrieval of information. The Digital Resources are highly preferred sources by the student’s
community in higher educational institutions. Digital libraries have transformed the way we
access and share information, fostering a more connected and informed society. Their impact
will continue to shape the future of information dissemination and knowledge acquisition.

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