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• Athabasca University Library

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQ

What are the conditions of use for the collections?

Athabasca University reminds patrons of current usage polices:

1. Patrons may not download, reproduce, alter, or transmit files without the written permission of Athabasca University officers.
2. Files may not be used for commercial purposes.
3. Files are copyright protected by the original owners and are made available by Athabasca University with appropriate permissions.

What about Copyright?

Every required and appropriate effort has been made to acquire copyright clearances for the material on this web site. If you are aware of errors or omissions, or if you have questions or comments, please contact Tony Tin, Electronic Resources Librarian.

What is Digitization?

Digitization is the process of creating a digital replica of a page from a book or microfiche, which can in turn be used in web sites, and other educational and community tools. The process of digitization involves the following steps:

• Copyright Clearance: If materials are not in the public domain, permission must be granted by the creator and/or their estate prior to digitization.
• Sourcing: This is the process of obtaining the materials to be digitized. This may involve borrowing a collection or obtaining books via inter-library loan.
• Scanning/Photography: Using a scanner or digital camera, photographs, books, microfilm, and/or microfiche are turned into digital form. The resulting images are then saved on a server, which acts as a virtual file cabinet and safely stores the material.
• Metadata/Cataloguing: This is the process of "tagging" the scanned images. This tagging process makes it possible for the images to later be searched on web sites by keyword, title, author, or subject.
• Quality Assurance: At this stage, completed work is double-checked prior to being uploaded onto the sites.
• Uploading: This is the final stage of digitization and involves putting the completed material online.

What are the Metadata Standards for Digital Projects?

CONTENTdm uses Simple Dublin Core to map fields to ease cross-collection searching. All digital files in CONTENTdm must contain these metadata fields:

Label	Dublin Core	Definition
1. Title	title	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-title
2. Subject	subject	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-subject
3. Description	description	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-description
4. Date	date	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-date
5. Language	language	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-language
6. Format	format	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-format
7. Type	type	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-type
8. Identifier	indentifier	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-identifier
9. Collection	publisher	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-publisher
10. Repository	publisher	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-publisher
11. Rights	rights	http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/#terms-rights

Can I make content suggestions?

Yes of course! Athabasca University is dedicated to enriching the learning environment for all Albertans, including the faculty and students of Athabasca University, as well as for learners from around the globe. If you have an idea for a collection that fits in with this mandate then please contact the Library Digitization Team.

Can I purchase the following...?

Unfortunately not, though most of the collections are freely accessible for Research and Education use. Karvonen Films Ltd. has products for sale that do not appear in our collection and you can contact them for more information. Also, Athabasca University's e-books are also for sale on Lulu.com

I am experiencing technical difficulties. Help!

How terrible! Contact the Library Digitization Team for assistance.