Semantic Web Technologies for Digital Collections of Libraries.

This paper aims to explore how the Semantic Web technologies effect the digital library collections and what are the challenges faced by digital collections in Semantic Web environment. The present study is based on substantial literature review on the impact of Semantic Web technologies on digital collections of libraries. The search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Google Scholar were used to find the relevant literature for the study. Online databases such as Pro Quest, Science Direct, Emerald, and JSTORE were also used to find the relevant literature of the study. Databases of Library Sciences Library and Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA) and Library Information Science Abstracts (LISA) were also used to find the relevant literature of the study. Library, linked data technologies, Semantic Web, digital library and digital collections were the main keywords which were used to find the relevant literature for the study. The evolution of linked data technologies and Semantic Web has changed the traditional role of the libraries. Traditional libraries are converting into digital libraries and digital libraries are in a struggle to publish their resources and on the Web using XML based metadata standards. With the publication of digital collections of libraries on Semantic Web, users could be capable to get their required quality information of libraries round-the-clock. It has improved the Web visibility of the digital collections of the libraries. Digital collections of libraries are being exploited by search engines to make their web appearance more credible and authentic. It has decreased the storage cost of the libraries and has reduced the chances of duplication of resources on the Web. Different digital libraries such as Europeana, Digital Public Library of Americana, Library of Congress, National Library of France, National Library of Spain, and The British Library have been connecting and publishing their digital collections on the Web for wider community usage. There are also some challenges to implement Semantic Web technologies in digital libraries such as copy-rights and legal issues, privacy concerns of libraries, MARC based records of the libraries, reluctance of libraries to adopt it, requirement of technical infrastructure, technical disparity between libraries metadata standards and Web-based standards, complex technologies of linked data such as RDF, RDF/XML, OWL, SPARQL etc. This is the first study of its kind to find the impact of Semantic Web technologies on digital collections of libraries. It will guide policy and decision makers to facilitate the libraries to make their metadata and digital collections available on Semantic Web for wider community usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]