Chapter 31 - The Global Digital Library Introduction A Cornucopia Of Services The Internet contains many diverse services. An individual can transfer, browse, or search for information, make purchases, or interact with other users. Internet services handle all forms of digital information, including text, sound, graphic images, real-time audio or video, and multimedia combinations. New Services Appear Regularly The Internet is still changing. Internet researchers continue to discover new ways to store, communicate, reference, and access information.

Chapter 31 - The Global Digital Library Flexibility Permits Change The basic communication technology used in the Internet is extremely flexible. It supports a wide variety of computers and services that had not been invented when the technology was being developed. A Digital Library Card Catalogs And Search Tools Unlike a traditional library that used a card catalog, a digital library contains many index mechanisms and provides services that use the mechanisms to search for information. As a result, a given piece of information can be located several ways.

Chapter 31 - The Global Digital Library Internet Services Can Be Integrated Although each Internet service has been designed independently, services can be combined in interesting ways. A given service can access information available from other services. Mr. Dewey, Where Are You? Because each computer on the Internet that offers a service can organize information however it chooses, there is little uniformity. Information In The Digital Library What Is The Internet?

Chapter 31 - The Global Digital Library Terms definition of the Internet digital library