Brazilian digital library of thesis and dissertation

Abstract

The communication and information technologies allow the documentation centers, libraries and other information units providers the recording and dissemination of its information. These initiatives were employed in an autonomous manner. As a result, the final users found difficulties in the full access to these information sources. If on the one hand, these technologies facilitate to information providers the record and dissemination in digital format and on the World Wide Web, on the other hand, they also facilitate the development of patterns and protocols which allows the integration of databases. In this context, the Open Archives Initiative was implemented to establish patterns and ideals, which allow the integration of information databases. This initiative came to be initially with the purpose of presenting a new alternative in scientific communication. However, the established patterns may also be used as a tool for the integration of remote databases, reason by which the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology(IBICT) has been continuously researching and adapting them to the country needs concerning the integrated dissemination of Scientific and Technological Information. The first initiative of IBICT using these patterns was the development and implementation, in the country, of the Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertations (BDTD). This experience demonstrated the potential of these patterns and ideals created by the Open Archives Initiative, because, besides the established patterns having allowed the integration of different initiatives by the Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertations already developed in the country, even the BDTD may be integrated to two similar international initiatives the Networked Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertation (NDLTD) and the Universidad de Chile. This one implements another model of Digital Library, as Cyberthesis, developed by the Université Lumiére, which also uses the Harvesting Protocol from the Open Archives Initiative.