Abstract

Digital libraries have emerged since the early 1990s, distinguished in part by their emphasis on useful content, helpful organization, and a range of services that include at least indexing, searching, and browsing. In the 5S (Streams, Structures, Spaces, Scenarios, and Societies) formal model for digital libraries we precisely define key concepts and terms, so the field can move beyond the stage of continually explaining basic ideas and debating definitions. Thus, we define a minimal digital library in terms of clear definitions for repository, metadata catalog, services, and societies, which in turn build upon characterizations of digital object, collection, hypertext, etc.