This course tours the technology behind modern libraries — the systems that run them, how digital content is managed and preserved, how discovery search works, and what is coming next — judged always against the library’s lasting values.

It is for librarians and curious learners who want to understand the engines under the hood, including open-source tools that widen access.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• describe what an integrated library system does;
• manage digital content with consistent metadata;
• explain the essentials of digital preservation;
• understand how discovery systems work;
• assess new technologies against library values;

The lessons

1. Digital Library Systems — the software that runs a library, like open-source Koha.
2. Content Management — organising digital materials so they stay findable.
3. Digital Preservation — keeping files usable for decades.
4. Discovery Systems — one search box across all collections.
5. Emerging Technologies — AI, linked data, and weighing the new wisely.

How to study this course

Work through the lessons in order — each is a short read with a worked example, a quick exercise, and a hand-picked free resource. Use the Previous and Next buttons at the foot of each page to move along. There are no fees and no enrolment barriers; the course is open to everyone, and you can revisit it any time.

This courseware is provided free by FRELIP. Original text released under CC BY 4.0; linked resources remain under their own licences. Curated by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.