Abstract. This paper presents the results of our study regarding the different facets and ways of using annotations in both digital libraries and collaboratories. This study represents an innovative attempt at gathering methodological tools and synergies from both fields in order to effectively define a comprehensive model for annotations. Thus we propose a conceptual model for annotations in order to develop an annotation service that can be plugged into digital libraries and collaboratories. Finally, starting from our model, we introduce a search strategy for exploiting annotations in order to search and retrieve relevant documents for a user query. 1

Abstract. Digital library interaction evaluation has, by nature, a user centered perspective, which directs the scientific research to the benefit of the user and narrows the research parameters. In this paper we propose a new framework for the evaluation of interaction and we introduce the concepts of usefulness, usability and performance as the main contributing factors for the creation of a rational and successful interaction. The framework attempts to trace and highlight some of the interaction evaluation requirements and parameters, in order to be sufficient in many different contexts. 1.

We formalize the digital library (DL) integration problem and propose an overall approach based on the 5S (Streams, Structures, Spaces, Scenarios, and Societies) framework. We then apply that framework to integrate domain-specific (archaeological) DLs, illustrating our solutions for key problems in DL integration. An integrated Archaeological DL, ETANA-DL, is used as a case study to justify and evaluate our DL integration approach. We develop a minimum metamodel for archaeological DLs within the 5S theory. We implement the 5SSuite toolkit set to cover the process of union DL generation, including requirements gathering, conceptual modeling, rapid prototyping, and code generation. 5SSuite consists of 5SGraph, 5SGen, and SchemaMapper, which plays an important role during integration. SchemaMapper, a visual mapping tool, maps the schema of diverse DLs into a global schema for a union DL and generates a wrapper for each individual DL. Each wrapper transforms the metadata catalog of its DL to one conforming to the global schema. The converted catalogs are stored in the union catalog, so that the union DL has a global metadata format and union catalog. We also propose a formal approach to DL exploring services for integrated DLs based on 5S, which provides a systematic and functional method to

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Abstract. Advanced personalization techniques are required to cope with novel challenges posed by attribute-rich digital libraries. At the heart of our deeply personalized alerting system is one extensible preference model that serves all purposes. In this paper we focus on ontology and quality assessment in conjunction with our search technology Preference XPath and XML-based semantic annotations of digital library multimedia objects. We evaluate the impacts of automatic query expansion by ontologies by embedding our alerting system P-News as a black box or a glass box in a test lab. It changes configuration parameters on its own, feeds test cases to P-News, compares the results of different configurations, and stores the result set for further evaluations. The most important indications of this work in progress are: The use of ontologies improves the quality of the result set, generates further results of higher quality, and implies the use of knowledge to reduce a loss of focus. 1

www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm Design and evaluation of a task-based digital library for the academic community