dLibra

Multimedia Content Management Tool for Digital Library

The dLibra software package was written to help build and manage such IST services like multimedia digital publications and books, distance lectures, media on demand and many others formed in digital libraries (DL). Making easier the management of multimedia content, metadata and objects, dLibra can help everybody to build and serve his/her digital library, containing documents composed of such multimedia objects like text, audio, video, images, animations, etc.

The main components of dLibra are:

• metadata management and DL logic module,
• multimedia storage servers,
• web application for content presentation,
• content management application.

The metadata management and DL logic module is responsible for storing and managing data which describes library content. This information is based on the internet standard - Resource Description Framework (RDF). DL logic allows users to organize their documents in folders and subfolders and manage access rights for other users. All data required to realize these functions are stored in a database.

Multimedia storage servers are used for the storage of library documents and objects contained in these documents. dLibra can use many storage servers, each one being different, all contained in one library. For example a library can contain one storage server for text files, one for sounds and one for video. Each type of server can be dedicated for objects of each kind. This allows specialized servers to be used. The video server can store video files and serve them using some real time streaming protocols. The text server can serve its documents using the HTTP protocol. Specialized servers can also care for transforming its objects for user needs: from scaling video stream bandwidth to automatic translation of texts.

dLibra can use many existing types of servers and is ready to include commercial products, usually by the writing of a small gateway to use the standard dLibra interface for storage servers. The media object management module manages all storage servers in the library and directs documents and their multimedia objects to the proper server.

Web application is served on an HTTP server. It is designed for easy browsing and library searching. Using standard web browsers users gain access to library content. The several forms allow the searching for documents using their RDF descriptions as well as searching individual objects based on their properties. Users can also browse the library using folders and subfolders. For the best integration with the future Internet search engines, all of the presented documents contain embedded RDF descriptions.

The content management application is a Java application used for managing library content. Its main purpose is to put new documents into a library and users have many options for managing already existing documents. This application reads new documents from local files and tries to discover the largest possible amount of information describing a document from its content.

dLibra is a foundation technology planned to support other multimedia services, like: distance learning, media on demand and electronic publishing.

dLibra is the proper software used for the development of services for Information Society Technologies such as:

• multimedia digital publications,
• distance education,
• multimedia books,
• media on demand,
• virtual museums.

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