The Worth of Digitization
In my last post on
digitization, I discussed how
digital content helps us to bridge the digital divide and secure digital dividends in the process. Today, I would like to get deeper into the world of digitization and explore the issues related to this domain.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Truly, technology has taken us so far that we can now see those things, which were initially invisible to us, hear things, which were once beyond our audio senses, and look forward to new possibilities in the near future.
Digitization is one such technology that endeavors to provide meaningful content on human culture, science, and art to all e-citizens. The world’s libraries, museums, and archives are tremendous sources of knowledge, much of which has never seen the light of the day. As Tagore puts it “…Where knowledge is free…into that heaven of freedom my father, let my country awake” – digitization helps you get in touch with the treasure hidden inside the sources of knowledge.
Before proceeding any further in this context, I must explain what I mean by the term, digitization. In a single phrase, we can define digitization as the conversion of analog media to digital form. However, digitization in itself has many facets - the source material can be printed text, images, audio, or video.
With the
digital content industry gaining pace with every new second, the possibilities seem endless, the advantages become clearly visible, and the pressure of using this new technology for preservation purposes is increasing at a brisk pace. However, when it comes to digitizing organizational data for preservation purpose, ‘accuracy’ is the word and implementation of state-of-the-art digitization technologies, such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), double-entry capture, and computerized data verification becomes a must.
The accuracy factor notwithstanding, there are some other issues as well that must be considered before venturing into the digitization sea with full-fledged resources. You need to consider:
· The purpose of the digitization project, whether it is for preservation, access improvement, or both.
· The scope of accessibility of the digitized products.
· The desired format of the final output.
As if the above impediments were not enough, after becoming clear about the expectations from the digitization project, you need to decide whether digitization is really worth it? I mean, you need to perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the digitization process positively influences the Return on Investment (ROI). The need for this cost-benefit analysis arises because you have to face the choice between launching a digitization project and investing on other activities, such as traditional collection development.
The fact that makes this cost-benefit analysis process even more difficult is that the number of caveats and variables that must be taken into account is bewildering and at the same time, there is no guarantee that these variables reflect the true cost of the project. However, as an answer to these difficulties, there are several benefits, which make digitization worth it. Increasing access, preservation, and meeting strategic goals are just a few benefits to name with respect to digitization.
So, deciding the worthiness of a digitization project is a tough task and it all depends on how well you can compare digitization with other areas of collection development that may yield better results – always keeping in mind that the primary objective is to meet the requirements of the users and provide them with the resources indispensable for them.
Digitization
Digitization – Linking Digital Divide with Digital Dividend
It is really surprising that throughout the course of history there have been severe differences among people or nations for whatsoever reasons. Sometimes it was the skin color that bothered the Americans for years and hindered their progress. Thereafter, it was the Berlin wall, which notably epitomized the difference among people. And now, it’s technology itself, which is being held responsible for differences among the lesser mortals.
The fact that various geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural subpopulations in today’s world have widely varying access to a range of digital technologies has engaged political, intellectual, and business leaders in a vigorous and far-ranging debate under the topic – digital divide.
The debate encompasses multiple perspectives ranging from providing the lesser-developed nations with broader access to the Internet to simply allowing the market forces run their course. And digital divide is not just a futile discussion among the so-called intellectuals rather it was a prominent agenda item at the annual G8 summit of the world’s leading industrial countries.
The Globalists project digital divide as a proof that the United States is digitally isolating itself from the rest of the world, while the Digital Democrats demand cyber-democracy, and the Digital Egalitarians want to mandate equal access to technological tools throughout all strata of society.
Truly, the problem of digital divide must be addressed, but one needs to understand that merely providing Internet access to every e-citizen will not shut the mouths of the Digital Democrats and Egalitarians forever because the stakes are much greater.
More than government involvement, what is required to seal this digital divide, is the active participation of the business community in mending the fissures. And believe me, I am not calling for any charity work. Bridging the digital gap will enable businesses to thrive at a new level of post-industrial innovation and will produce better-trained, more productive employees apart from opening up new sales and marketing opportunities.
The emergence of electronic marketplace as the hub of domestic and global e-commerce will further lure businesses to help close the digital divides. In addition, the spread of digital technologies will offer an opportunity to meet the ever-changing consumer demands and create innovative products and services.
Thus, involving the private sector in the “bridging digital divide” effort will not only pursue the end result, but will also benefit the businesses with “digital dividends”. And it is not that I am throwing an out-of-the-box idea rather I am just highlighting the importance of
digitization.
Businesses have already realized the benefits of promoting widespread use of digital technologies. Wireless communications through satellites,
digital content management, broadband network access, and many such digital technologies are inexorably converging. Within corporations, managers are quickly closing the digital proficiency gap between high and low skilled employees. In the United States, the corporate sector is helping the education system to prepare students to work in a digital economy.
Likewise, I can go on mentioning the facts and benefits related to digital technologies and digitization, and still I must say that here I am just discussing the role of digitization in bridging the digital gap. Its because, digitization, in its entirety has many facets and a complete discussion on the real potential of digitization encompassing its role in information exchange, preservation and dissemination would perhaps cover the length of an entire book.
However, what can be most the appropriate conclusion of this discussion is the fact that its unity in diversity, which keeps this world going. And the bottom-line of the above discussion is that like all other differences witnessed by history, the difference caused due to digital divide can also be overcome provided, the technologists, Egalitarians, Globalists, and free-market adherents agree upon linking the digital divide with digital dividend.
