What is the difference between Fedora and other commercial or open-source Digital Library systems?
Fedora is is not a “digital library in a box;” it is a foundation upon which many types of information management systems can be built. The Fedora architecture (underlying system) is is based on a system for defining objects which can include digital resources, metadata about the resources, and links to software tools and services that have been configured to deliver the content.. Fedora can support many variations in content, record complex hierarchical relationships between objects, and link those objects to whatever types of discovery and user tools best suit the institution’s users. Fedora’s flexibility allows development of a custom Digital Library system at UVa that best meets its requirements. Most available Digital Library systems are less flexible in scope or configurability. “Digital Asset Management” systems manage individual resources such as image or text files. “Content Management Systems” manage the delivery of content over the web. “Institutional Repositories” are desig
