Digitization studies



What society is the current society?
•Which society is contemporary society?
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•information, knowledge, learning, surveillance, risk ..
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•science in transformation
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•press technology x computer technology – digitization (Digitization studies - DS)

What is DS?
•digitization disciplines emerges from LIS
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•digitization of cultural heritage
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•pressure of practice – multiple projects
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•early stages of development
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What is DS?
•new discipline – digital librarianship
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•transformation of traditional ones – bibliographic description to metadata standards
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•another names of discipline: digital libraries, cultural heritage informatics, cultural and social
informatics
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Digitization activities
•Digitization – conversion of information from analogue to digital form
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•Impact on practical activities of libraries and other information institution (?)
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•technical issues of conversion
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•management of collections
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•mediation and representation of cultural heritage in digital environment
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•economics of digital repositories and business models
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Approaches
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•1. technology as a tool – instrumental approach to ICT in building digital libraries, focus:
technological infrastructure and processes
•2. DL within social and cultural environments
•3. DL as made of object with focus on document management
•4. Combined model
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•DL as sociotechnical systems
•1.Library-oriented approach
•2.cultural-heritage approach
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New quests, new areas
•digitization - pre-requisite for cooperation of memory institutions
•gallery, libraries, archives, museums (GLAM)
•highlighting their common function and roles
•foster interdisciplinary research
•growing complexity -> need of effective information management of information resources •material
world blurs in digital environment – need for definition of a document
•to bridge LIS and computer science
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Levels of IT systems



Information ecology
•comprehensive approach
•information ecology - system of people, their values, methods and technologies used in the local
environment
•eg. Intensive Care Unit, bank office, library ..
•access to find places of influence of individuals, methods of their intervention in the system

Information ecology
•a metaphor on biological ecology - the interconnection of the environment in which technology is
used
•changes continuously affect related parts of the system - coevolution, system changes
•healthy information ecology - different types of people and tools work complementarily, together
•diversity is necessary - ensures the survival of change - new ideas, tools, activities
•the keystone species - basic type of qualified people - support for the efficient use of
technologies. Eg. natural teachers in the working group, librarians in library, mediators at
universities - translate between disciplines
•Information ecology site - user population always differs → need to adapt technology to a given
environment so people understand it
•NARDI, Bonnie A. - O'DAY, Vicki .L. Information Ecologies: Using Technology With Heart. Cambridge,
Massachusetts : The MIT Press, 1999.
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