School of Computing
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Digital Libraries

NUS SoC, 2015/2016, Semester I, Discussion Room 6 (COM1 02-12) / Mondays 12:00-14:00

Last updated: Monday, August 24, 2015 11:45:10 AM SGT - Course has been cancelled due to low enrolment. Many apologies for any inconvenience!

Module Description, Aims and Objectives:

Module Description, Aims and Objectives: (as excerpted from the bulletin): This module is targeted to graduate students of computer science and information systems wishing to understand the issues in building, using and maintaining large volumes of knowledge in digital libraries. Fundamentals of modern information retrieval is assumed. The course will focus on how such information retrieval technology operationalises traditional information finding skills of the librarian/cataloger/archivist, organised around 5S framework for digital library education. Areas within digital libraries that will be covered include collection development, knowledge organisation, DL architecture, user behavior, services, preservation, management and evaluation and DL education and research. Students will round out their knowledge with case studies of how different disciplines (e.g. music, arts, medicine and law) impose different search, usability and maintenance requirements on the digital library.

Course Characteristics:

  • Modular credits: 4.
  • Prerequisites:: CS 3245 Information Retrieval and CS 3246 Multimedia Content Analysis and Search or their equivalents. Important: It is highly suggested to have some advanced mathematics background such as probability and statistics, and/or linear algebra. Exceptions to these pre-requisites can be made on a case-by-case basis only. See instructor for details.
  • Instructor: Min-Yen KAN, <kanmy@comp.nus.edu.sg> Office: AS6 05-12 (x61885).

    Office hours are held on Mondays after class, but more commonly by appointment. Emails to me as a default are assumed to be public, and my replies and your anonymized email will likely be posted to IVLE. Please let me know if you do not want the contents of your email posted; I will be happy to honor your requests.

  • Workload: (2-0-0-6-2) Translation:
    2 lecture hours per week
    0 hour of tutorials or labs per week
    6 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork, etc. per week
    2 hours for preparatory work by a student per week
  • Textbooks: No textbooks are required, but several are suggested:
    • Recommended: Witten and Bainbridge (2009) How to Build a Digital Library. 2nd Edition, Morgan Kaufmann.
      Available as an e-book in NUS Libraries. You may download a copy from the library or from the IVLE workbin.
      NUS Libraries ]
    • Recommended: Hey, Tansley and Tolle (2009) The Fourth Paradigm. Microsoft.
      This text is open access. You may download a copy from Microsoft, here.
      From Microsoft ]
    • Recommended: Lesk (2004) Understanding Digital Libraries. 2nd Edition, Morgan Kaufmann.
      Available as an e-book in NUS Libraries. You may download a copy from the library or from the IVLE workbin.
      NUS Libraries ]
  • Final Exam: No final exam. Project and CA totals 100%.

Note to NUS-external visitors: Welcome! If you're a fellow DL course instructor looking for lecture material, you can see the Syllabus menu item on the nav bar for a preview. Please contact me if you'd like to use any of my material. Thanks!