Who can use the Digital Collections?
The Digital Collections are publicly available and searchable to anyone for educational and research use. Content is best viewed using an updated browser.
Some items in the Digital Collections may have copyright restrictions or licensing agreements attached to their use. When known, information on permissions is noted along with the item under “Copyright”. If you have any questions about the copyright restrictions of an item, please use the Contact link found under Help at the top of the Digital Collections website.
The U.S. Copyright Office provides additional information on understanding copyright, including “Copyright Basics” at www.copyright.gov.
Are all items in the UC San Diego Library digitized?
Only a small fraction of the UC San Diego Library’s unique collections have been digitized. The Library determines which items to digitize based on a number of considerations, including the need to support teaching and research, availability of funding and resources for digitization, copyright restrictions that may prevent an item from being distributed online, and the scholarly significance of items. To learn more about a particular item in the Digital Collections or request to see an item in its original form, please use the Contact link found under Help at the top of the Digital Collections website.
In addition to the Digital Collections, the Library has a myriad of ebook and ejournal collections that are available at libraries.ucsd.edu.
How do you select content for the Digital Collections?
Content reflects a range of materials collected, managed and preserved by the UC San Diego Library that has significant value to teaching, learning and research. Content is selected for the Digital Collections based on a number of considerations, including support for current or emerging research or instruction, preservation, copyright status, historical or cultural value, and availability of funding and resources.
What is the technical architecture of the Digital Collections?
The UC San Diego Library Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) is a locally developed digital repository, designed to store and manage the digital assets of the UC San Diego Library. Components include: Resource Description Framework (RDF) data model, Solr (an indexing service based on Lucene), JSON (Java Script Object Notation data exchange format), Samba and OpenStack file services, ARKs (Archival Resource Keys, unique identifiers), a Java-based development platform, and a Ruby on Rails based display and discovery system using Hydra and Blacklight. For more information, visit https://library.ucsd.edu/about/digital-library/.
Can you help me find more information on a specific topic?
Yes, if you need help finding information on a particular topic (including primary sources), or have questions about your research in general, please contact our Ask a Librarian service to email, call or instant message with a UC Librarian.
Citing an item
This may vary depending on the type of resource and citation format. However, there is standard information to include in the citation, regardless of format which can be found with each item. These include: creator, title, date, collection name, the institution (in most cases UC San Diego Library), and the item’s URL.
Reporting a correction or additional information about an item in the Digital Collections
We appreciate the help in updating or correction information about our digital resources. To report a correction or provide additional information, please use the Contact link found under Help at the top of the Digital Collections website. Our staff will respond to questions or comments in a timely manner. You can also provide a comment with the item at the bottom of the item page.
Reporting a problem with the Digital Collections
For specific questions or further assistance, please use the Contact link found under Help at the top of the Digital Collections website.
How can I see an item from the Digital Collections in person?
To learn more about a particular item in the Digital Collections or see an item in its original form, please use the Contact link found under Help at the top of the Digital Collections website.
