DIGITIZATION: AN OVERVIEW OF ISSUES

Abstract

Digital resources are a comparatively new category of information materials in Indian libraries.Although in many ways managing digital resources is similar to handling other resources, thereare significant differences. One major difference lies in the fact that libraries are also increasingly getting involved in the very creation of digital resources.Digital resources can broadly be grouped into two categories – those that are originally created and distributed in digital format and those that are originally created in another format and are later converted into a digital format through a process generally referred to as digitization. Several organizations – libraries, governments, research institutions, and commercial organizations - at local, regional, national and international levels are involved on digitization activities. This paper begins with an understanding of digitization - the meaning and the processes – and then seeks to look at the issues involved in the digitization process from the perspective of libraries. As such, the focus is greater on the digitization of printed materials, rather than objects or sound, film or video recordings.