in designing a digital library, there is no decision more important than your selection of software. The software interface is the only thing your clients see. There are no rows of comforting bookcases to show the size of your collection. There is no friendly face to help guide the client to the right information. There is just the software. When clients don't find what they need in the online catalog of a traditional library, they can browse the shelves. In the digital library, the softwareis the catalog and the shelves. It has to be easy to use and it has to be effective. FINDING THE OPTIONS Your first step in selecting software for the digital library is to find out what's available. Potential packages may be classified as library automation software, document management software, litigation support software, or database management software. There are a number of Web sites with good lists of library automation software. Locating document management and litigation support software is a bit more difficult. Two fairly good sources are Document Management Avenue (http://www.DocumentManagement.org.uk) and SoftScout-Business Software Directory (http://www.softscout.com). Perhaps the most painless source of software listings is ComputerSelect Web (http://www.computerselect.com) from Software Vista, Inc. (formerly a product of Gale Group's Information Access Company), available by subscription. At first, the number of choices may seem overwhelming. There are dozens of library automation systems and numerous document and database management packages. A check with your IT staff can insure that the packages under consideration are compatible with your operating system and network. Unless you work in a Macintosh environment, system compatibility will not limit your options significantly. The key to selecting the right package is careful definition of the nature of the information in the library and how it will be used.
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