Introduction

The dLibra digital library system is a set of tools which make it possible to:

• store digital objects of various types (for example, scientific articles, reports, guides, HTML pages, PDF documents, audio/video recordings);
• manage digital objects in a digital library (for example, modify documents, group documents, assign documents to thematic categories, manage users’ rights to documents);
• share digital objects stored in a library (for example, browse documents through a website, search them, protect them against copying, make them temporarily available);
• manage a digital library (for example, create digital library user groups, assign rights to users); and
• cooperate with other information systems with the use of publicly available standards (such as OAI-PMH or RSS).

The dLibra system consists of three basic elements:

• server – this is a key element of the system; it is responsible for all operations carried out in the digital library;
• web pages – a reader application, that is, the web pages which give readers access to the resources (for example, books) of the digital library;
• Editor and Administrator application – this is a window program consisting of two applications, editor’s and administrator’s, which make it possible to properly manage the content of the digital library (for example, to add new items) and to manage the digital library (for example, its subject division).

As a whole, those elements constitute the dLibra system – a platform for building digital libraries.

On the FBC Q&A web page (http://fbc.pionier.net.pl/qa/) there is a questions and answers system. If you have a question/problem/suggestion, you are welcome to post it there.

dLibra System Users

We can divide users of the dLibra system into three categories:

• library administrator (in short: administrator) – manages the library by creating users and user groups, gives permissions to users, can create and modify the structure of the library, can use all dLibra programs (administrator’s, editor’s, and web programs – but usually uses the Administrator Application);
• editor – creates the digital library by adding digital objects to it, creates or imports object descriptions, groups objects, usually has limited access to the Administrator Application, usually uses the Editor Application;
• reader – dLibra system user with access only to the online web pages, can browse the digital object text made available by the editor, cannot use the Administrator and Editor Application; every person who visits the digital library website is a reader.

Those are the three most common types of users of digital libraries based on the dLibra system. Each user type has its own tasks and characteristics. The administrator takes care of the digital library as a whole. The editor manages the content of the digital library in accordance with the restrictions imposed by the administrator. The reader – the end user – uses the items collected in the digital library by the editor.

There is one more user type worth mentioning here, namely, the IT administrator of the dLibra system, who is responsible for the configuration, maintenance, and consistent functioning of the system. The IT administrator needs to have appropriate technical knowledge about the administration of basic information services (software installation, software configuration methods – databases, web server). This role can be held by the IT specialist of the given institution.