e-commerce software for digital libraries

Brian Cockburn cockbuba at jmu.edu
Fri Feb 23 11:59:05 EST 2001


This might have come up before.  But even if it has I would like to hear if
anyone has considered providing Digital Library Services through an
e-commerce application.  I ask this because as the environment on our campus
changes we are being asked to provide e-commerce functionality.
1.	ability to customize portals at user, academic department, subject level.
This seems very much like a good ecommerce site which can group like items,
offer user-customizable pages and “collections”
2.	Delivery from one branch to another
3.	robust searching but using simpler mechanisms
4.	Looking at future we are looking at B2B capabilities between information
providers and library, between campus and library.  Also looking at
possibilities of markets moving to pay per use kinds of capabilities

All that to say, has anyone investigated the feasibility of building a
digital library, or at least providing functionality to the online parts of
a collection via ecommerce applications.

Conversely, has the discussion been had regarding putting “everything” into
your traditional Library System and using asp (active server pages) to
access when your Library system is built on 
 lets say Oracle.

Basic questions, I am sure, but any comments would be welcome.

BAC

Brian Cockburn
Digital Services Librarian
James Madison University
cockbuba at jmu.edu



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