In the dLibra system, there are two language types: user interface languages and metadata languages.

The user interface languages are languages are used for presenting the website of a dLibra digital library. Such website elements as: labels, button names, or information about collections and attributes (names and descriptions) – that is, the general information related to website presentation – should be available in the user interface languages.  The administrator defines the so-called default language of the interface from among the user interface languages of the website of the digital library. Web pages are presented in that language when the user has not set (in the properties of the user’s Internet browser) an available language on the list of the digital library website languages. Importantly, the elements of the digital library which are in the interface language (for example, collection names or attribute names) are changed/added rarely. That makes it possible to translate the interface into several languages once and to display them to web page users.

Metadata languages are languages used for entering the metadata of digital objects entered into the system, for example: issues, planned publications, group publications, or directories. The administrator selects the default metadata language from among user metadata languages. Metadata are shown to the web site user in the default language when the user has not set a language from the list of available metadata languages in the user’s preferred languages (in the properties of the user’s Internet browser). It is worth noting that metadata languages pertain to elements which are usually entered into a dLibra digital library on a daily basis. That is why the set of metadata languages must be limited to languages in which library editors can entered information (metadata).

To sum um, user interface languages are used for describing, in many languages, elements which are rarely changed, so particular texts can be translated once into many languages, regardless of whether the editors speak those languages. Metadata languages, on the other hand, are used for describing, in many languages, objects entered to the system by the editors. They must be translated on an ongoing basis, and they are usually translated by the editors, so the number of metadata languages must be limited to languages spoken by the editors.
 Consequently, there are usually many more interface languages than metadata languages in dLibra digital libraries. Once more, this is because the interface is translated once (and updated rarely), while metadata are entered regularly, in the editors’ languages.

On the library website, users can choose the language of the interface and metadata.

Translations in the following user interface languages are available:

• Polish, English – created internally in the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center, and
• French, German, and Czech – created in cooperation with the institutions which use the dLibra system (those languages are available for selected versions of the system).

By default, there are two languages – Polish and English – in the dLibra system. In order to introduce additional languages to an installation of the system, the user should contact the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center.