Library Science Digital Libraries and Technology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'digital repository' in library science?
- A website for downloading movies
- A system for storing, preserving, and providing access to digital content such as institutional research output (Correct answer)
- A cloud storage service for library staff files
- An electronic reading room for rare books
Correct answer: A system for storing, preserving, and providing access to digital content such as institutional research output
A digital repository is a managed system for storing, organizing, preserving, and providing access to digital objects such as research papers, theses, datasets, or digitized collections.
Question 2: What does 'open access' mean in the context of scholarly publishing?
- Library materials available for same-day checkout
- Free, unrestricted online access to scholarly research without subscription barriers (Correct answer)
- Access to the library building 24 hours a day
- Open borrowing agreements between library systems
Correct answer: Free, unrestricted online access to scholarly research without subscription barriers
Open access refers to scholarly content — particularly peer-reviewed journal articles — that is freely available online without paywalls, subscription fees, or other access restrictions.
Question 3: What is 'EZproxy' used for in academic libraries?
- Email management for library staff
- Authenticating off-campus users to access licensed electronic resources (Correct answer)
- Accelerating e-book downloads
- Managing electronic reserves for courses
Correct answer: Authenticating off-campus users to access licensed electronic resources
EZproxy (by OCLC) is a proxy server that authenticates library users accessing licensed databases and electronic resources from off campus.
Question 4: What is 'digital preservation' and why is it important for libraries?
- Scanning physical books for digital access only
- The management of digital materials over time to ensure they remain accessible and authentic despite technological change (Correct answer)
- Protecting digital files from cybersecurity threats only
- Converting digital materials to print for long-term storage
Correct answer: The management of digital materials over time to ensure they remain accessible and authentic despite technological change
Digital preservation involves active strategies to maintain digital content's integrity, authenticity, and accessibility across technological changes — including format migration and emulation.
Question 5: What does 'OPACl' stand for in library technology?
- Online Public Access Catalog (Correct answer)
- Open Protocol for Automated Cataloging
- Organized Print and Audio Collection
- Online Periodical Acquisition Control
Correct answer: Online Public Access Catalog
OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) is the electronic catalog that allows library users to search the library's holdings online — the patron-facing interface of the ILS.
Question 6: What is 'linked data' in the context of library metadata?
- Hyperlinks embedded in catalog records
- A method of publishing structured data so it can be interlinked and queried across the web using shared identifiers (Correct answer)
- Linking multiple catalog records for the same item
- Connecting library branches through a shared ILS
Correct answer: A method of publishing structured data so it can be interlinked and queried across the web using shared identifiers
Linked data is a method of structuring and publishing data using URIs and RDF so that library metadata can be connected and shared across the web, making it machine-readable and interoperable.
Library Science Digital Libraries and Technology 1
What is a 'digital repository' in library science?