Comunicar 39-ingles - Revista Comunicar

120Comunicar, 39, XX, 20121. IntroductionBy questioning classical conceptions and structuresof digital libraries, Joint (2007) claims that they aremetaphors derived from traditional definitions of libraries.He proposes a redefinition that takes into accountthe new technology and the way we conceive informationin the postmodern era. He also warns aboutthe complexity of building and classifying a digitallibrary with existing standards since current informationobjects are ephemeral and lack permanence;hypertext collections are difficult to gather due to theirmutable nature.Indeed the Digital Library concept has been controversialbecause it could represent an organizedcollection of documents stored in digital format thatalso provides search services and information retrieval(Martínez, 2007). Another of the classic definitions ofdigital libraries is suggested by the Federation of DigitalLibraries (DLB), which attributes to such organizationsa wide range of functions like selection, structuring,preservation, interpretation and supply of digital re -sources for the user’s convenience (Digital LibraryFede ration, 2010).The development of the new technologies ofinformation and communication has brought interestingchanges in the social and educational dynamic. Anoticeable change lies on the information searchmechanisms that allow the construction of knowledge(UNESCO, 2005). Although digital libraries possess avariety of digitized information, which can be accessed,it is interesting to recognize that the greater thenumber of electronic collections, the greater the needfor efficient search strategies.2. FrameworkThe recent curriculum reforms at all levels of basiceducation around the world bring with them the needto adapt educational materials. These reforms are aboost research and innovation associated with thetechnical and pedagogical work oriented to improvingthe achievement of students, teachers, head teachersand society’s capabilities (CONACYT-SEP, 2008).As a result, the study of electronic bibliographic resourcesfor basic education is vital.Druin (2003) says that children’s libraries deve -loped from systems aimed at adult users provide accesspoints whose interpretation requires higher cognitiveskills, so the challenge of a digital library for childrenrequires taking into consideration the need for accessto and use of information, and the cognitive developmentof the students.In this regard, Cooper (2002) confirmed that childrenunder seven have difficulties searching for informationusing alphabetic characters and socialized classifications,and they can use metadata but only if presentedin a very direct way. He analyzed young childrenbased on four developmental characteristics: cognitive,physical, social and emotional. In 2005 Cooperconcluded that digital environments for children mustconsider balancing the familiar with new things builton prior knowledge, offer quick feedback, involveseveral senses and be participatory and user friendly.After inducting children aged 7 to 11 into a collaborativeworkgroup at the University of Maryland, Druin(2003) proposed a digital library model with emphasison collection and cataloguing, metadata standards andthe creation of new technologies to access and use theinformation. Once the contents were revised, Druinstates that children want to get involved in the constructionof libraries, have access to varied resourceswith different classification criteria (colors, shapes, feelingsthat the books awaken) and to find graphical andcustomizable interfaces to facilitate collaborative work.The activities of the «Digital Libraries» educationalresearch project revealed the prevalence of criteriaderived from bibliographic collections developed forhigher education. Most of these activities proposedinterfaces aimed at adult users even though they offerbibliographic resources for basic education. An explorationon the basic education collections found thatalmost all the available electronic resources were intext format and used higher education language. Al -though e-collections routinely audit the cataloging processes,few examined the resources in detail duringthe quality control process. These findings confirm theneed for continued help in the construction of electronicspaces for younger students (Gómez-Zermeño,2010).3. Research problemDespite the significant volume of bibliographicresources in electronic format available for basic educationthat can be accessed through traditional searchengines many are unreliable. Children might find ithard to perceive the relevance of such materials orreceive incorrect information, which affects their learning.For Lugo and Hernández (2007), delimiting criteriafor basic education electronic resources becomesa systematic tool that supports evaluation; they alsopoint out that the current evaluation methods for digitalresources are still under construction and are inconstant evolution. In order to refine this process, theysuggest creating standards and guidelines that can beused according to the needs and interests of users.© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293• Pages 119-126