ABSTRACT
Most of the attention regarding digital libraries has gone on the technical developments that do, and will make them feasible, whether permanent locators, version control, metadata or cross-platform searching. Thus far, much less attention has been given to the areas of e-collection building and online services. What little thinking has gone on is limited in vision, can be partial and even part of a lopsided political agenda (Sun, 2003). A recent review of the history of ‘Informatization’ over the last 40 years gives collections barely a mention (Duff, 2003). But the sheer volume of electronic materials is growing rapidly (OCLC, 2003) and requires thought to be given to policy on collection building as well as the technology and practices which will allow it to happen. Present academic research builds on the collections of the past: it therefore behoves us to build collections for the future. It has been claimed in the context of Open Archives that ‘the biggest challenge is getting content’ (Pinfield, 2003). In the context of e-collection building, the challenge is perhaps that of building collections of coherent content.
