An e-Library or Digital Library (both terms often used interchangeably) is a collection of digital objects. These Digital Objects could be classified as text, visuals, video, audio, etc.. Digital Library stores these objects as standardized and customized electronic media formats instead of print, micro form, or other media. Most importantly, a digital library should provide means for organizing, storing, and retrieving the contents. e-Library stores the contents at a central location for providing access on multiple devices.
A comparison of traditional physical libraries with digital library:
v/s 
- A physical library consists of Physical Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Monographs, reports, etc. Whereas, digital library consists of digital content viz e-books, e-magazine, e-newspapers, e-reports, video, audio, rich media, animations, etc.
- A physical library has Limited Space and thus is difficult to expand. Whereas, a digital library has limited (limited till scalability of underlying IT infrastructure) but large space and thus makes it easier to expand.
- A physical library will provide access to objects via Issue and borrow system certainly limited to number of available quantities. Whereas, a digital library will provide access to objects any number of times by any number of users.
- A physical is created on a physical space. Whereas, a digital library is created on virtual space viz. data centers, cloud, servers.
- A physical library follows rack-based search and indexing. Whereas, a digital library provides Web Interface based search and indexing.
- The major demerit of physical library is material degradation, mutilation and loss over time. Whereas, a digital library provides digital preservation and longtime archival of the contents.
Components of Digital Library / e-Library:
An e-Library typically consists of the following components:
- e-Content
- Meta-Data
- Repository
- E-Library software
- Underlying IT infrastructure
e-content:
The content of a digital library could be broadly classified in two categories. First, that is created in a digital format, also known as born-digital. It is a collection of texts, images, etc. that can be stored, retrieved and read over electronic devices. These devices for example can be computers, mobile, digital readers, etc. The second form of content in the form of information that has been converted from a physical medium, e.g. paper, Journals, books, etc. by digitizing.
The e-content also contains invisible properties known as Metadata, also described as data that describes other data. It is often known as data about data or information about information. Meta is a prefix that in most information technology usages means “an underlying definition or description.” Metadata summarizes basic information about data, which can make finding and working with particular instances of data easier. For example, an image may include metadata that describes how large the picture is, the color depth, the image resolution, when the image was created, and other data. A text document’s metadata may contain information about how long the document is, who the author is, when the document was written, and a short summary of the document.
Meta-Data
Metadata is an important aspect of e-Library. It is the structured information that describes, explains or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource.
For educational purposes, an e-Library can adapt a set of metadata relevant to learning objects from schema.org or Learning Resources Metadata Initiative (LRMI).
Schema.org is a collaborative, community activity with a mission to create, maintain, and promote schema for structured data on the Internet, on web pages, in email messages, and beyond. One can use schema.org vocabulary with many different encodings, including Resource Description Framework in Attributes (RDFA), Micro-data and JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data (JSON-LD). These vocabularies cover entities, relationships between entities and actions. One can easily extend these through a well-documented extension model.
Learning Resource Metadata Initiative (LRMI) is a later version and a super-set incorporating all relevant portions of schema.org. Since, schema.org didn’t have a way of naming the educational parameters that could help narrow down the search; LRMI added them such as Educational Use, Interactivity Type, Typical age range, etc.
Central Repository:
A digital library may create a reservoir of e-contents at a central repository. This repository is basically a storage space attached to the repository servers. Typically, in a Data Centre. The central repository should have access mechanisms along with data backup policies. The repository is ever growing by creating new e-content and adding the content to the repository.
e-Library / Digital Library portal:
The e-Library portal acts as the front-end. It is also the predominant mode of access to knowledge and learning. A user can access the huge reservoir of e-contents stored at a central repository through the portal.
IT Infrastructure for establishment of Digital Library:
We will require an underlying IT infrastructure for hosting of web application, repository, e-Library Studios and e-Library sections.
One can host the web application on hosting layers viz. web, application and database servers in a secured environment of a Data Centre. Also, you can create the repository in the data center itself with features of scalability as the repository is ever growing as informed above. The repository will grow with addition of new e-contents. Users can create new e-contents in e-Library studios with facility of creating digital contents. A typical e-Library studio consists of audio-video recording and scanning equipment with features of editing and mixing. Organizations may create e-Library sections at schools, colleges, community centers and of course in physical libraries for accessing of e-contents. A typical e-Library section would consist of desktops (for personal access), TVs (for broadcasting content to a larger audience) and required network infrastructure for connectivity to the central repository.
e-Library Software:
The e-Library software should provide web-based access to the e-content stored at a Central repository. It should have option to view, upload and manage the e-contents.
It should be an open to view for all i.e. anybody who wish to view contents through this portal can view the available contents, whereas, for uploading new contents one needs to be an authenticated user. Each user who wants to upload contents to e-Library portal has to register himself as a content provider and duly approved by the Administrator. The portal will assign a username and password to the user upon successful registration. The user will use these credentials for accessing the portal for uploading contents on the portal with relevant information in the form of metadata and license. After successfully passing through a number of validation steps and duly approved by an authorized person (could be a subject matter expert) the uploaded content should be available under an appropriate category.
The software should be accessible on desktop, laptop, mobile, tablets, etc. It would have advance search features for filtering content uploaded based on standards, categories, age groups, etc.
Content policy:
Certainly, an e-Library should clearly define the policy of use of e-contents available via the software. The content provider could either upload the content with a license of use. Or the creator may provide his content under copyright of the creator. If he want to spread the knowledge he may provide his content under open licenses with relevant attributes for use and distribution. A creator may use Open Licenses provided by Creative Commons such as CC-BY-SA.
Check out some e-Libraries:
National Digital Library of India
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