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A Pioposal Foi A Bigital Libiaiy Placing Liteiaiy Woiks
Within Theii Bistoiical anu Cultuial Context





Bominique Santoielli
Rutgeis 0niveisity
Spiing 2u14
SSS Bigital Libiaiies
Teim Pioject Final Repoit


42-*'
Najoi histoiical events, politics, anu social anu cultuial phenomena impact the
liteiatuie anu othei cieative woiks piouuceu. Theiefoie, the unueistanuing of liteiaiy
woiks can be impioveu by stuuying liteiatuie within context, paiticulaily within a specific
time peiiou. The inspiiation foi the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy comes fiom
peisonal expeiience with liteiatuie couisewoik. Time peiious aie fiequently useu as
uefining ciiteiia when cieating an unueigiauuate liteiatuie couise, as woiks piouuceu
within a time peiiou often have similai qualities that ieflect the socio-cultuial uynamics of
the time. Auuitionally, stuuying woiks within theii histoiical context cieates oppoitunities
foi making invaluable inteipietive connections between the liteiatuie of the time, othei
cieative woiks, anu social anu cultuial factois.

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The Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will use a timeline visualization to uisplay
the liteiatuie anu events to pioviue insight anu facilitate analysis of liteiatuie. Bata
visualization enables useis to effectively filtei voluminous infoimation to highlight ielevant
infoimation by taking auvantage of peiceptual capabilities. "Complex ielationship patteins
anu social gioupings become obvious when they'ie visualizeu" (0ganec). visualizing
patteins anu connections enables useis of the uigital libiaiy to bettei compiehenu the
uynamics of the time anu foim inteipietations about theii influence on the cieation of
liteiatuie. The insight gaineu thiough the timeline visualization is what makes this uigital
libiaiy valuable to the usei.
The Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy pioviues useis with compiehensive mixeu
meuia coveiage of a selection of liteiatuie anu its coiiesponuing time peiiou. This type of
libiaiy woulu be iueal foi any acauemic institution that offeis liteiatuie couises uefineu
by time peiiou anu possesses a libiaiy with uigital access, whethei it be entiiely uigital oi
an extension of the institution's physical libiaiy. Rutgeis 0niveisity, foi example, coulu
suppoit such a uigital libiaiy foi use by its English unueigiauuate uepaitment.
Auuitionally, Liteiatuie in Context woulu complement a piogiam like the Rutgeis
0niveisity English unueigiauuate piogiam as it iequiies stuuents to take seveial couises
in uiffeient histoiical peiious. Because of its association with couisewoik, the usei
community foi Liteiatuie in Context woulu consist mainly of unueigiauuate stuuents anu
acauemic staff.

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Besign plans foi the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will emphasize integiation
with existing functionality of the paient univeisity's web seivices. Inteiopeiability with
both the libiaiy website anu Bepaitment of English website will be a piimaiy goal as it will
seive as an acauemic iesouice available fiom both. Because the majoiity of content will be
obtaineu fiom the univeisity's libiaiy, maintaining the paient institution's stanuaius will
pioviue a moie seemless tiansition between the two anu enable univeisity libiaiians to aiu
stuuents attempting to access libiaiy mateiials.
The infoimation visualization tool Bipity pioviues an excellent guiue foi the uesign
of the timeline visualization featuie of the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy. Bipity
allows useis to cieate, shaie, anu collaboiate on inteiactive timelines that aie capable of
uisplaying a vaiiety of uigital meuia. Timelines aie able to "integiate viueo, auuio, images,
text, links, social meuia, location anu timestamps" into one multimeuia timeline (Bipity). It
conuenses events to title, yeai, anu image along a timeline, showing majoi events, anu has a
zoom featuie that changes the uisplay of the timeline fiom centuiies to 1S minute time
slices. Liteiatuie in Context will have a similai timeline uisplay. Bipity also offeis piemium
seivices that uo not cap the numbei of timelines oi events so use of Bipity as the timeline
function of the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy may be a viable option, which woulu
save time both piogiamming anu tiaining staff to impoit content.
To piomote scholaiship, the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will offei public
access to as much of its collection as possible. Because useis often employ seaich engines
befoie oi in lieu of visiting the libiaiy, publicly accessible woiks will be able to be locateu
via tiauitional seaich engines, such as uoogle, leveiaging these seaich tools to encouiage
stuuents to use of Liteiatuie in Context as an authoiitative iesouice foi the stuuy of
liteiatuie. A 2uu8 stuuy by NcNaitin et al. finus that "it appeais that a syneigistic
ielationship exists between |seaich engines anu the euucational uigital libiaiyj in which
the seaich engine biings useis to the content anu the euucational uigital libiaiy offeis high
quality content. Each auus value to the othei. This iaises the impoitance of exposuie of
euucational uigital libiaiy contents to seaich engines, anu uesign of the inteinal poitions of
the libiaiy to make useis aiiiving fiom seaich engines awaie of wheie they aie anu
offeiing these tiansient visitois a ieason to stay. Failuie to expose mateiials in euucational
uigital libiaiies to seaich engines incieases the costs foi those libiaiies to biing in useis,
anu as useis become even moie focuseu on seaich, incieases the likelihoou of theii
iiielevancy to useis because they cannot be founu thiough a web seaich" (NcNaitin 77).
Exposing publically accessible mateiials in the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy
collection to seaich engines will attiact moie useis, inciease usage anu potentially
encouiage scholaiship.
Foiming connections between the liteiatuie of the time, othei cieative woiks, anu
social anu cultuial factois is one of the main goals of Liteiatuie in Context. Resouices will
be associateu using a vaiiety of factois to assist useis in uoing so. The uatabase mouel of
the City of Lit Bigital Libiaiy infoims methouology foi the uesign of the Liteiatuie in
Context Bigital Libiaiy. While many aitifacts aie gioupeu logically, "it is possible that any
single aitifact can be connecteu stiuctuially with any numbei of othei aitifacts. Foi this
ieason, we have cieateu a geneial puipose "ielationship" table in the uatabase to maintain
connections between any two aitifacts, iegaiuless of type" (Bsieh 2u6). "The Relationship
table uoes not neeu to know which two entity types aie to be associateu, anu it iequiies no
changes if theie aie new types of entities auueu to the uatabase" (Bsieh 2u7). This uesign
is flexible, suppoits multiple aitifact types, anu allows foi fuithei expansion, making it
iueal foi the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy.


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Content in the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will laigely be ueteimineu by the
English couises offeieu by the paient univeisity's. Liteiatuie content will focus on the
liteiaiy woiks coveieu by the couises, but will also incluue influential liteiaiy woiks that
aie not coveieu. Contextual content will consist of uiffeient types of meuia anu incluue
piominent authoi piofiles anu theii bouy of woiks, ciitical woiks by contempoiaiies,
images of oiiginal texts when available, images of exemplaiy aitwoik piouuceu at the time,
auuio of well-known music, oveiviews of politics, ieligious influence, anu text, viueo, oi
auuio focusing on majoi histoiical events such as wais, social movements, oi natuial
uisasteis. Contextual content shoulu be geneially accepteu as ielevant oi impoitant to the
time peiiou oi consiueieu influencial to liteiatuie coveieu by the univeisity's couises.
Naps may be incluueu oi cieateu to enhance the collection. Theoietical papeis wiitten
aftei the time peiiou might help useis iuentify assocations anu facilitate scholaily ieseaich
anu uebate; theiefoie, links to leauing papeis in the fielu in the univeisity libiaiy's
collection as well as 0pen Access publishings will be pioviueu.
Bigital objects will be chosen baseu on theii histoiical impoitance, piominence
uuiing the time, oi because they may seive as points foi compaiison. Since the Liteiatuie
in Context Bigital Libiaiy will be owneu by the univeisity, content selecteu will laigely be
baseu on the univeisity's uigital holuings. It will shaie uigital content with the univeisity
libiaiy anu links to the catalog iecoiu foi ielevant physical objects in the univeisity's
libiaiy will be pioviueu. Links to 0CLC WoiluCat will also be incluueu as it pioviues
valuable infoimation about woiks in the uigital libiaiy anu wheie useis can finu physical
iesouices locally. Whenevei possible, links to copies of the liteiaiy woiks in the foim of e-
books oi auuiobooks will be pioviueu, both helu by the univeisity libiaiy anu fiee copies
on the web. Sites such as Pioject uutenbeig pioviue access to uigital copies of out of
copyiight woiks, which aie often the texts focuseu on in these couises. Cultuial insitutions
with content ueemeu impoitant will be contacteu foi potential inclusion into the uigital
libiaiy. Links will also be pioviueu to othei cultuial institutions with public access to
peitinent uigital objects, collections, oi exhibits. Auuitional ielevant content will be auueu
to the uigital libiaiy as neeueu anu as buuget peimits. Bigitization is not likely at this time,
but can be ievisiteu if necessaiy.

Please see the Nanagement anu Resouices section foi infoimation about who will select
content.

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The metauata schema foi the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will be Bublin
Coie. Bublin Coie was chosen because it pioviues the most flexible metauata elements,
which is auvantageous foi use in a uigital libiaiy wheie objects may be fiom vaiious
souices in a vaiiety of foimats. Content will be classifieu by cieatoi, yeai, foimat, anu
categoiies useu foi the Liteiatuie in Context hieiaichy, outlineu in the 0iganization
section. Authois, uates, locations, anu subject keywoius in the object's iecoiu will be
utilizeu to link to closely ielateu items anu facilitate biowsing the collection foi
connections. The couise associateu with the item will be useu to link content. 0thei
associations between items can be maue at the uiscietion of the libiaiy's cuiatois, using
the uatabase mouel fiom the City of Lit Bigital Libiaiy uiscusseu in the uuiue in Besign
section.

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Content will be oiganizeu on the home page along a hypeilinkeu timeline. Nousing
ovei an object on the timeline will iesult in a hypeilinkeu pop-up winuow with basic
infoimation about the object, link to the page with its iecoiu, anu link to its 0CLC WoiluCat
iecoiu. A zoom function will allow the usei to concentiate on incieasingly smallei time
slices. When uisplayeu on the timeline, size will be useu to signify impoitance of the object
anu coloi will uistinguish the object's categoiy. Categoiies will coiiesponu to a subpage
that will be accessible thiough the piimaiy navigation as well as the object's page. Each
item will be associateu with a couise, oi seveial couises. While all yeais anu content will
be uisplayeu on the timeline, useis will have the option of toggling the view to iestiict the
timeline to a paiticulai couise.
Above the timeline anu on eveiy page, theie will be a piimaiy navigation bai. Clicking
on one of the piimaiy options will take useis to that page; Nousing ovei it will piouuce a
uiopuown menu uisplaying the subpages. In the heauei, theie will be a seaich bai with
options baseu on those useu by the paient univeisity. Navigation will be stiuctuieu
accoiuing to the following hieiaichy:

1) Bome (timeline)
2) Liteiatuie Couises (couise list)
a) Couise Syllabus (one pei couise)
S) Liteiatuie
a) Titles
b) Authoi Piofiles
c) Images
u) Contempoiaiy Ciiticism
4) Events
a) Politics, uoveinment
b) Wais
c) Cultuial Novements
u) Religion
e) Natuial Bisasteis & Bisease
S) Ait
6) Nusic
7) Theoietical Papeis
8) Auuitional Resouices (links to holuings by othei institutions)
9) About 0s (about & mission statement)
a) Contact 0s
b) 0niveisity Libiaiy
c) 0niveisity English Bepaitment

Page titles may be aujusteu in iesponse to available space. Nost pages will be bioken uown
to fuithei sub-pages, which will appeai as a uiop-uown menu unuei the piimaiy
navigation anu uisplay bieauciumbs as neeueu. Events, Ait, anu Nusic will likely be
bioken uown fuithei aftei ieviewing available iesouices.

4<<#77
The timeline anu homepage woulu iemain visible to public, but access to content
woulu likely be iestiicteu as access to univeisity content woulu be goveineu by the paient
univeisity. Foi example, a univeisity like Rutgeis woulu iestiict access to content to
stuuents using theii login cieuentials. To access iestiicteu content, useis will be piompteu
to entei the useiname anu passwoiu pioviueu by the univeisity. Enteiing login
infoimation once will make all content accessible until exiting the website oi aftei an iule
peiiou. 0ut of copyiight woiks, public content, 0pen Access infoimation, anu outbounu
links such as the Auuitional Resouice page woulu not be iestiicteu, iemaining publically
accessible anu able to be founu using tiauitional seaich engines such as uoogle. Access to
content fiom othei cultuial institutions woulu be ueteimineu to be iestiicteu oi public on a
case-by-case basis befoie content is uploaueu to the uigital libiaiy. The Liteiatuie in
Context Bigital Libiaiy will incluue as much publicly accessible content as possible in its
collection.

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The Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy has its place in the seivices pioviueu by the
paient univeisity as an acauemic iesouice. While it is intenueu piimaiily foi the
unueigiauuate stuuents, it may pioviue a valuable iesouice foi othei stuuents as well.
Theiefoie, access will be available fiom the univeisity libiaiy thiough links like those foi
specialty uatabases. As the libiaiy evolves anu staff is finalizeu, an ask-a-libiaiian type
featuie may be auueu to the libiaiy. It may connect to a ueuicateu libiaiian foi the
collection oi English faculty. Inteiactive usei seivices such as the ability to auu content, tag
content, oi comment may be auueu in the futuie. Fuithei ieseaich is necessaiy to
ueteimine what woulu be most useful foi this uigital libiaiy.

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0ne of the goals of the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy is to cieate a collection
that places liteiatuie in its histoiical context to facilitate impioveu compiehension of the
mateiial. Theiefoie, evaluation shoulu consiuei whethei oi not useis peiceive this uigital
libiaiy to be a useful acauemic tool. Impoitant evaluation vaiiables incluue "ciiteiia on
collection consisting of puipose, scope, authoiity, coveiage, cuiiency, auuience, cost,
foimat, tieatment, anu pieseivation; on infoimation incluuing accuiacy, appiopiiateness,
links, iepiesentation, uniqueness, compaiability, piesentation; anu on use compiising of
accessibility, availability, seaichability, anu usability; anu stanuaius." (Xie 1S48). 0sability
will be the focus of evaluation foi the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy because it
consiueis usei satisfaction anu effective use of the uigital libiaiy.
English unueigiauuate stuuents with access to the uigital libiaiy will make iueal
canuiuates foi evaluation ieseaich. It is stiongly iecommenueu that the libiaiy be
evaluateu aftei the fiist semestei it is available, applicable changes be maue, anu it be
evaluateu aftei the seconu semestei of use, using English unueigiauuates as the paiticipant
pool. This paiticipant pool will best iepiesent the aveiage usei of this uigital libiaiy anu
help to iuentify flaws in the Liteiatuie in Context uesign anu usability as well as potentially
uiscovei beneficial inclusions that will impiove the usei expeiience. 0ppoitunity foi usei
feeuback anu suggestions will be pioviueu on the libiaiy's contact page.

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As the collection will be ueteimineu baseu on unueigiauuate couisewoik, the
Liteiatuie in Context uigital libiaiy will only iequiie upuating a few times pei yeai. A
committee, as uiscusseu in the Nanagement anu Resouices section, will meet uuiing these
times to ueteimine what upuates aie neeueu, if any. 0puates may ieflect auuitional
couises cieateu oi valuable iesouices uiscoveieu uuiing the couise of a pievious semestei
by stuuents oi faculty. Beuicateu peisonnel will be iesponsible foi upuating the libiaiy anu
any iesponsibilities associateu with acquisitions oi access. Pieseivation will be guiueu by
the univeisity libiaiy's stanuaius as well as best piactices. Bowevei, it will face similai
challenges to othei uigital libiaiies, such as keeping file types cuiient.

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A committee will be oiganizeu to ueteimine liteiaiy anu contextual content to be
incluueu in the uigital libiaiy. It will consist of membeis of the univeisity's English
uepaitment, a univeisity libiaiian, anu membeis of the univeisity's Bistoiy uepaitment.
Iueally, the committee membeis fiom the English uepaitment will touch base piioi to each
semestei aftei class offeiings aie ueteimineu to ueciue if auuitional iesouices neeu to be
auueu to the libiaiy to accommouate classes not pieviously offeieu. If they concluue that
auuitional mateiials aie necessaiy, they can consult with univeisity libiaiians to ueteimine
availability of mateiials anu membeis of the univeisity's Bistoiy uepaitment if auuitional
contextual mateiials aie necessaiy. This committee will seive as the cuiatois of the
Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy.
Aftei the initial cieation of the uigital libiaiy, maintenance shoulu be manageable by
a few staff membeis, if some iesponsibility is able to be absoibeu by existing univeisity
staff. Bowevei, the Liteiatuie in Context Bigital Libiaiy will neeu ueuicateu peisonnel to
uploau anu manage content. Seaich capabilities anu pieseivation piotocol will mimic those
of the univeisity's libiaiy making suppoit by libiaiy staff possible. The libiaiy will be
houseu on the institution's seivei anu technical suppoit will be absoibeu by the
univeisity's IT uepaitment. Auuitional financial iesouices woulu neeu to be pioviueu to
the two uepaitments foi opeiating costs associateu with suppoit of the Liteiatuie in
Context Bigital Libiaiy. The ueuicateu staff peisonnel neeueu will be ueciueu aftei
ueteimining how much suppoit existing univeisity staff is able to pioviue. Beuicateu staff
foi the Liteiatuie in Context libiaiy woulu ieceive compensation compaiable to univeisity
libiaiy staff with similai positions. As the libiaiy giows, the neeu foi auuitional staff will
be consiueieu.

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The collection will incluue compiehensive mixeu meuia coveiage of liteiatuie as
well as majoi events, politics, anu socio-cultuial uynamics of the coiiesponuing time
peiiou. The timeline visualization seeks to take auvantage of the peiceptual capabilities of
libiaiy useis anu to pioviue insight into ielationships between social anu cultuial factois
anu cieative woiks to facilitate analysis of liteiatuie. The Liteiatuie in Context Bigital
Libiaiy is uesigneu to be an acauemic iesouice foi unueigiauuate stuuents, paiticulaily
English stuuents. While the libiaiy is piimaiily intenueu foi use by one univeisity,
expansion to seive multiple libiaiies anu othei cultuial institutions may be possible as
moie woiks in the collection become pait of the public uomain. Bopefully, the Liteiatuie in
Context Bigital Libiaiy will seive as a valuable acauemic iesouice that will piomote
scholaiship in the humanities.

Woiks Citeu


Bipity (2u11). About Bipity. Retiieveu fiom http:www.uipity.comabout.
Bsieh, Baowei, Biiuget Biaxlei, Nicole Buuley, anu }on Winet. "The 'City of Lit' Bigital
LibiaiyA Case Stuuy of Inteiuisciplinaiy Reseaich anu Collaboiation." The }oint
Confeience on Bigital Libiaiies. (2u12), pp. 2uS-12.
NcNaitin, F., Iveison, E., Wolf, A., Noiiill, }., Noigan, u., & Nanuuca, C. (2uu8). The use of
online uigital iesouices anu euucational uigital libiaiies in highei euucation.
Inteinational }ouinal 0n Bigital Libiaiies, 9(1), 6S-79.
0ganec, Cameion (2u1S). Social Neuia, Big Bata anu visualization. Retiieveu fiom
http:blog.hootsuite.comsocial-meuia-big-uata.
Xie, B. I. (2uu8). 0seis' evaluation of uigital libiaiies (BLs): Theii uses, theii ciiteiia, anu
theii assessment. 904"%.*-'"0 :%"+),,'05 ; <*0*5).)0-1 ==>?@1 1S46-1S7S.