file:///C|/WEBPAGES/bibliomining/nicholson/newvl.html Nicholson, S. (1995) Management of the Digital Library: New Techniques for a New Technology. Available online at http://www.bibliomining.com/nicholson/newvl.html Management of the Digital Library: New Techniques for a New Technology Scott Nicholson Copyright July 13, 1995 ABSTRACT The digital library is a user-based library service that seamlessly connects users to the information they need electronically, regardless of source. The new technologies and higher costs cause management new difficulties in five areas: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. The purpose of this report is to collect these problems from the literature and offer solutions when possible. The three largest problems facing the manager of digital library services are cost recovery, copyright issues, and training. Mangers must determine a way to recover the constant costs incurred by the technologies used to run the digital library through increased funding or charging users. Until copyright issues are dealt with, no copywritten material can be placed in a digital library. Constant training requires a commitment of money and time, yet is the most important change a manager can make to guarantee the success of the digital library. These issues must not be avoided, and require managers to re-think traditional management strategies. In order to handle these and other problems and successfully manage a digital library, managers require new tools for a new technology. The ideal digital library is a user-centered service that seamlessly connects users to the information they need electronically, regardless of source. In this state of transition to introduce digital library services, traditional libraries offer support in the way of personnel, funding, information, and management for these digital libraries. Management of a digital library differs from the management of a traditional library in many ways. "Factors such as distance from customers, specific product/service delivery mechanisms, technology, and organization must be planned and managed differently, but the underling concepts of customer-focused management are not profoundly changed" (Powell, 1994, p. 260). The purpose of this paper is to present a review of management problems caused by the digital library and possible solutions in the areas of the five basic parts of management - planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling (Stueart & Moran, 1987). file:///C|/WEBPAGES/bibliomining/nicholson/newvl.html (1 of 13) [8/29/2003 9:31:43 AM]