DL.org - The digital library reference model

This document represents the first release of the Digital Library Reference Model produced by the DL.org project. It has been produced by using the DELOS Digital Library Reference Model released by the DELOS Network of Excellence as firm starting point. This release maintains, consolidates and enhances the previous one by applying a number of revisions and extensions. The document maintains the structure of the previous release. It is organised in three parts each forming a self contained artefact, i.e. the Digital Library Manifesto, the Digital Library Reference Model in a Nutshell, and the Digital Library Reference Model Concepts and Relations. The Digital Library Manifesto declares the intentions, motives, overall plans and views of the a long term initiative leading to the production of a foundational theory for Digital Libraries; it also introduces the main notions characterising the whole Digital Library domain. The Digital Library Reference Model in a Nutshell briefly introduces the overall picture underlying a comprehensive model conceived to capture the essence of Digital Libraries in terms of the main domains characterising them, the principal concepts existing in each domain and the main relationships connecting such concepts. Finally, The Digital Library Reference Model Concepts and Relations present in detail the main concepts, axioms and relationships characterising the Digital Library domain independently from specific standards, technologies, implementations, or other concrete details. For each concept and relations included in the model, the document provides a detailed characterisation comprising a definition, the set of connections with other concepts, the rationale explaining its existence and a set of examples of concrete instances of the specific entity.