About the Digital Library
Krestanska knihovna library sponsored and funded by Institute for Christian Resources, is located in Prague, Czech Republic and was established as a non-profit organization with the purpose of providing access to specific theological resources. The
current collection includes approximately 5000 books, journals, videos, DVDs, CDs
and audio tapes in both English and Czech, as well as other regional languages
including Slovak, Polish, German and Russian.
Electronic resources are currently limited to access of searchable digitized resources through software programs such as LOGOS and currently available through our on-site reference study area. Inclusion of additional electronic databases such as ATLAS (American Theological Library Association Serials) as well as development of a digital library containing certain specialized materials will also serve to enhance the current collection.
Mission Statement
Within the framework of the established policies of the library, the Institute for Christian Resources Digital Library (ICRDL) has been developed and is designed to provide enhanced access to a digitized collection of specialized theological resources in order to better serve the information needs of the users of Krestanska knihovna, Prague, Czech Republic. Development of a digital library is designed to supplement the traditional print and multimedia collections and will also provide for enhanced access for improved distance resourcing.
Collection Policy
All resources collected as part of the ICRDL will adhere to the selection guidelines outlined in the approved Collection Development Policy of Krestanska knihovna Praha. General selection criteria will include subject matter, format, language and scope. Within these guidelines, specific attention will be given to authorship, currency and validity of information, readability, credibility, meeting user needs, relevancy, quality and uniqueness of information, depth of coverage, copyright, and technical ease of use and accessibility.
Materials will include relevant digitized print materials with a focus on research and position papers, biblical study collections of specialized materials as well as the possibility to provide access to certain digitized books (clear copyright) as well as free open source journals. Future plans also include adding already digitized MP3 audio recordings of all lecture series once space issues on the server can be resolved.
Within the framework of the current pilot project and the given limitations of the current server, the primary focus will be on collecting, cataloging and making available digitized print materials for lectures presented at the library during the ten-year period 1998-2008. While handouts are available in print both in English and Czech, the later will be included during the next stage of DL development and so the current collection will be English only. In addition to MS Word, PDF and HTML full-text of all documents are available.
Organization of the Collection
As a pilot project, the collection of the ICRDL includes MS Word and PDF as well as HTML full-text documents (i.e. lecture notes, outlines, manuscripts, and supplemental handouts) for sixty-three different lectures. A summary of content is available through the main header pages, which then provides further links to content including information about each lecturer. Each item has been indexed by title, author, subject and date.
Resource Descriptions
Each item in the collection was cataloged and described using Dublin Core metadata elements and standards. The elements utilized include Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher, Date, Type, Format, Identifier, Language and Copyright. Metadata was recorded with a single table using MS Access 2007 which was then incorporated into the various searchable pages within the digital library website presentation.
With regard to subject classification, it should be noted that additional descriptions were developed using Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) which then became the means to generate key words for the purposes of access by those searching the site. In addition, each item has been classified using Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system which will ensure compatibility and integration with the current print collection.
Access and Use
The ICRDL was developed using Synthasite (now Yola) and is currently available for viewing via this website. Further access within the site is available using a site-only search option with additional instructions for access being provided through a How to Search page including Options for Searching. The full collection of digitized resources is fully searchable based on title, author, subject, date and keywords. Searching is available from any page within the digital library using a Google Custom Search feature.
Results are displayed on a separate page within the site with the ability to link to other pages within the site. There are three main entry points provided in the main menu which allow for opportunity to initially browse by Lecture, Author and Subject. Additional links and cross-references are provided from these portals to other portions of the digital library.
Service Features
During this initial development stage, the primary services which are provided include search and browse capability, resource discovery including HTML full text access as well as the ability to download the documents in PDF or MS Word format. Additional options for direct document delivery including hard copies are limited.
Future plans include the possibility of digital reference services for distance resourcing as an important and critical objective of digital library development. When the ICRDL is fully incorporated into the ICR website, additional service features including pathfinder development and taking full advantage of additional OPAC features will hopefully become more possible.
Interface Design
During this initial development phase, the ICRDL stands independent of the existing library website which is currently in the process of redesign but future plans call for incorporation and integration.
The overall design of the digital library is intended to be attractive and inviting and at the same time simple to understand and navigate. The final interface design is based on a simple banner present on each page, with the title ICR Digital Library and the six main tabs including About, How to Search, Browse by Lecture, Browse by Author and Browse by Subject and Contact with links between pages as well as further links into collection content. The Google Custom Search box appears on each page of the site and is located at the top left for consistency. The final Contact tab is designed to allow for the user of the library to share comments and feedback as well as ask questions about content.
Enhancement, Evaluation and Maintenance
The pilot project has been evaluated for overall usefulness by the library director with specific evaluation and testing being done by appropriate staff. Additional input was received from fellow students at several key junctures during the course of development of the digital library, as well as during the peer review process and helpful feedback was received with necessary changes being made.
While time limitations of this course did not allow for inclusion of full text-documents in Czech, everything has already been converted to PDF format and so the next stage of development will involve include making these documents available and viewable. Future needs will also include further evaluation and planning for expanded server capacity to allow for inclusion of audio files. Various options were explored during the course of development of this pilot project without resolution.
As a work in progress, additional enhancements will be added during later stages of development. Various methods designed to provide for further evaluation will be pursued including seeking user feedback through the Contact page form as well as the possibility for direct email contact. Additional feedback will be solicited through personal conversations with patrons. Any future enhancements will be guided by feedback received according to identified needs of the users. Maintenance of the ICRDL will require a regular commitment of time and effort on the part of designated staff.
