Virtual Library vs Digital Library

[sunner at vicnet.net.au]

>Hi,
>
>Here I am again. This time I have a conceptual question. As an information
>scientist working with new technologies and Internet I've been invited to
>make papers and to give courses on subjects like Virtual Libraries and
>Digital Libraries. I've been talking to some people in Brazil (I'm
>Brazilian) and I believe that a lot of peope consider both terms as
>sinonyms. That's not my opinion and I would like to know yours. 
 <snip>

I was interested in this myself as the terms seem to be interchangable.  I 
found the definition used by the American Association of Research Libraries 
(available at http://sunsite.berkley.edu/ARL/definition.html) quite useful. 
Their definition acknowledges that "electronic" "digital" and "virtual" 
libraries are often used synonymously and identify aspects that are common 
to all.

Hope this is helpful.

Kati

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Kati Sunner
Alternate email: katis at edunions.labor.net.au

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