Cross-Cultural Design and Usability of a Digital Library Supporting Access to Maori Cultural Heritage Resources

Abstract

Part of the worldwide appeal for digital libraries (DLs) lies in their potential to preserve cultural heritage resources, to expand access to indigenous resources, and to promote deeper understanding among user communities. As cultural heritage resources are being made into a shared worldwide collection of information resources, cross-cultural design and usability issues of DLs supporting access to such resources become critical concerns. This chapter looks specifically at issues concerning supporting access to Mâori heritage materials available in New Zealand through DL technologies. The chapter commences with an examination of the Mâori culture, the nature and forms of Mâori heritage resources and their specific requirements for representation, organisation and retrieval. It then proceeds to identify a set of critical research issues crucial to the success of such DLs. For these research issues, challenges are identified and potential strategies to meet these challenges are proposed.