Supply chain management model for digital libraries

This paper seeks to create a novel management model for digital libraries which can effectively respond to the challenges and culture posed by Google or other search engines.

The paper attempts to construct an advanced management model for a digital library which can have the advantages of Google, other search engines and libraries, yet avoid their inherent weakness. For that, the paper investigates and analyzes the advantages and weaknesses of Google and digital libraries at home and abroad, and makes reference to the theory of supply chain management (SCM) to construct a new management model for a digital library.

A supply chain for the digital library is constructed and a supply chain architecture for digital libraries, their components and the running situations of content services flow, information flow and funds flow in supply chain, is proposed. The components are described in detail. Then three kinds of service models are constructed and their service processes are analyzed.

The paper is one of the research findings of the National Key Technology R&D Program of China during the 11th Five‐Year Plan Period (No. 2006BAH02A12): Digital Content Supporting Technology Platform and will be applied to Chinese digital libraries construction.

The supply chain management model for a digital library which is blessed with the advantages of Google and libraries but without their weaknesses is studied and presented for the first time. The model can provide a well‐suited, highly efficient and one‐stop‐shop information and knowledge service for users.