Library Science Digital Libraries and Technology 2

Question 1

What is 'digitization' in the library context?

Accepted Answer

Converting physical materials (books, photographs, manuscripts) to digital format

Answer

Digitization is the process of converting analog physical materials — such as photographs, manuscripts, microfilm, or books — into digital formats for preservation and access.

Question 2

What does the 'Z39.50' protocol enable in library systems?

Accepted Answer

Searching and retrieving records from remote library databases using a standardized protocol

Answer

Z39.50 is a client-server protocol that allows one library system to search and retrieve bibliographic records from another system, widely used for copy cataloging from OCLC.

Question 3

What is a 'discovery layer' in library technology?

Accepted Answer

A unified search interface that searches across the library's catalog, databases, and digital collections simultaneously

Answer

A discovery layer is a search interface that aggregates and searches across multiple library resources — the catalog, licensed databases, and digital collections — through a single search box.

Question 4

What is 'DSpace' in the library technology context?

Accepted Answer

An open-source software platform widely used for building institutional repositories

Answer

DSpace is an open-source repository platform developed by MIT and HP that is widely used by academic libraries to build institutional repositories for research output.

Question 5

What is 'metadata' in the context of digital library resources?

Accepted Answer

Structured data that describes, identifies, and provides context about a digital resource

Answer

Metadata is structured data that describes the properties of a digital resource — such as title, creator, date, format, and subject — enabling discovery, management, and preservation.

Library Science Practice Test

Library Science Practice Test

Library Science Digital Libraries and Technology 2