DIY digital libraries
In “Shoestring Digital Library” (Library Journal, July 2006), Jonathan Weber describes how to set up a digital library with whatever technological and monetary resources your library has to invest in the project. Solutions range from using blog or CMS software to tweaking digital library software to programming your own system. The advantages of going DIY are not just financial; as Weber points out, starting from scratch allows for greater flexibility:
The “bibliographic record + item” paradigm that works so well for traditional materials and is translated to the digital realm in many digital library software packages might not work for digital materials.
…
The solution? Don’t use digital library software.
My own library has a number of DIY digital projects, including our catalog (relatively primitive but we have a small collection) and a database of funding opportunities. Most of them use a Microsoft Access database and ColdFusion, and are made possible by a team involving library staff, our webmaster, and programming staff.
