Digital Libraries and Development Hussein Suleman hussein@cs.uct.ac.za University of Cape Town Department of Computer Science Digital Libraries Laboratory @ Centre for ICT4D August 2015
The Challenge How do we build Digital Libraries to support Development in poor countries? Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [|-------------------------]
Digital Libraries? Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-|------------------------]
What Digital Libraries? Timbuktu Manuscripts http://www.timbuktufoundation.org/Manuscripts/index.htm Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [--|-----------------------]
What Digital Libraries? Digital Imaging South Africa http://www.disa.ukzn.ac.za/ Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [---|----------------------]
What Digital Libraries? Bleek and Lloyd Collection http://lloydbleekcollection.cs.uct.ac.za/ Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [----|---------------------]
What is Development? Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-----|--------------------]
What is Development? Move towards industrialization (Aronson, 2006) Complex ongoing process (Walsham, 2005) Removal of unfreedoms (Sen, 1999) Human and Socio-Economic Development Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [------|-------------------]
Development Agendas UN Millenium Development Goals UN Millenium Declaration South Africa National Development Plan (2012) Growth Employment and Redistribution (1996) Reconstruction and Development Plan (1994) Africa-wide New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) ... Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-------|------------------]
UN Millenium Developmemt Goals Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [--------|-----------------]
SA National Development Plan The creation of jobs and the development of the economy Development of the economic infrastructure: coal and gas, water, electricity and telecommunications Environmental sustainability and management of environmental resources Development of an inclusive rural economy Regional and international trade Housing and urban/rural planning Education and training Medical care Safety and security Building capacity for a developmental state Fighting corruption Nation building for a unified society Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [---------|----------------]
Digital Libraries for Development Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [----------|---------------]
The Poor Country Context/Question Do we as poor countries need to innovate: more? differently? faster? more urgently? Do we build digital libraries differently in poor countries? How do we build DLs for Development? How do we do this so the whole world benefits? Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-----------|--------------]
Why A Different Perspective? Urgency Some documents and storage media are rapidly deteriorating. Some storytellers are the last in their generations. Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [------------|-------------]
Why A Different Perspective? Skills and Education Typical archivists are not as highly skilled as counterparts elsewhere. Digital media is still not the norm. Education levels of general population hinders preservation – end-user data curation is very difficult. Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-------------|------------]
Why A Different Perspective? Funding Typically, there is little. Many preservation projects are funded by external agencies, but with restrictions on data accessibility. There is a desperate need to do more with less. Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [--------------|-----------]
Why A Different Perspective? Internet Bandwidth (Digital Divide) Non-existent in some places and poor everywhere else. Preservation projects designed for high bandwidth are not suitable. All online solutions must be bandwidth-friendly. Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [---------------|----------]
The Big Issues Efficient bandwidth use Advanced technology Appropriate technology Local relevance Modernization instead of Africanization Global applicability of solutions Minimalism of staff/money Multicultural/multilingual inclusivity Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [----------------|---------]
Some Design Principles Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-----------------|--------]
Simple and Efficient Solutions Simple and consistent interoperability standards Jorgina Paihama Simple architecture for archives Lighton Phiri Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [------------------|-------]
Reuse and Repurposing DSpace as CRIS/RIMS Craig Feldman/Darryl Meyer Archive annotations King'ori Maina Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-------------------|------]
Appropriate Technology Mobile keyboards for text entry Sunkanmi Olaleye Mobile navigational of physical spaces Ayodeji Olojede Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [--------------------|-----]
Community Engagement Archive annotations King'ori Maina Mobile navigational of physical spaces Ayodeji Olojede Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [---------------------|----]
Other Approaches Advanced Technology Use local private cloud storage systems Lebeko Poulo Crowdsourcing for transcription Ngoni Munyaradzi Multilingualism Improve search engine ranking of mixed language content Mohammed Mustafa Ali |Xam Language Dictionary Kyle Williams, et al Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [----------------------|---]
Lessons Learnt There are many common patterns in building DL systems with a developmental focus. Good solutions are widely applicable. Bad solutions only work in few places. Many resource limitations (e.g., bandwidth, staff skills) can be overcome through good design. Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-----------------------|--]
Concluding Thoughts Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [------------------------|-]
Concluding Thoughts Modern DLs focus on various different design philosophies e.g., scalability. DLs driven by a development imperative require attention to development goals (e.g., education) and development realities (e.g., bandwidth). Still a lot to be done ... Open Systems, Open Source, Open Standards are all useful elements ... to be discussed tomorrow! Digital Libraries Lab @ Centre for ICT4D [-------------------------|]
questions, comments, ... Google “hussein suleman” Facebook/slumou Twitter@slumou hussein@cs.uct.ac.za
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