Book excerpt: This fully revised and updated second edition of Understanding Digital Libraries focuses on the challenges faced by both librarians and computer scientists in a field that has been dramatically altered by the growth of the Web. At every turn, the goal is practical: to show you how things you might need to do are already being done, or how they can be done. The first part of the book is devoted to technology and examines issues such as varying media requirements, indexing and classification, networks and distribution, and presentation. The second part of the book is concerned with the human contexts in which digital libraries function. Here you’ll find specific and useful information on usability, preservation, scientific applications, and thorny legal and economic questions. Thoroughly updated and expanded from original edition to include recent research, case studies and new technologies For librarians and technologists alike, this book provides a thorough introduction to the interdisciplinary science of digital libraries Written by Michael Lesk, a legend in computer science and a leading figure in the digital library field Provides insights into the integration of both the technical and non-technical aspects of digital libraries