Virtual Library vs Digital Library

[Nick Arnett]

I think of "digital library" as a broader term than "virtual library."  The
latter implies organization of pointers to resources located elsewhere.
Thus the actual "collection" is virtual, as far as the library is concerned.
A digital library, in contrast, might also include resources... and I tend
to think of a digital library as one that only contains digitized information.

The unlocking of pointers (URLs, typically) from resources is a parallel
event to the creation of title pages just after printing and paper became
inexpensive.  Title pages were invented so that publishers could create
catalogs -- they used the book-binding infrastructure to bind collections of
title pages into catalogs, independent of the books.  This was driven, of
course, by the fact that books had become so inexpensive that they were no
longer chained in place.

Today, we're using the infrastructure of directory trees and such to
organize resources pointers to resources that have come "unchained" from
floppy disks, CD-ROMs, etc.

Nick

Product Manager, Advanced Technology
Verity Inc. -- Connecting People with Information

Phone: 408-542-2164               Fax: 408-541-1600
Home office: 408-733-7613         narnett at verity.com
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