The information technology explosion and its applications in every aspect of life have changed the entire scenario of the present world. The IT revolution and information explosion has led to the emergence of electronic information era. These days, the users are not satisfied with the printed available material, they require that printed information be supplemented with more dynamic multimedia documents. Thus digital libraries are becoming an important element in the era of information technology and it seems that the digital library concept should be considered a dynamic and essential component of an organisation.

This book provides an integrated overview of digital libraries, including a historical perspective, the state of the art, and current research. It covers a wide range of technical, economic, social, and organisational topics and working components of a digital library. It is a perfectly self-contained resource for individuals, agencies, and institutions to work in their burgeoning information treasuries.