Resumen
The article focuses on the gap between developed and developing countries in terms of information and communication technology and the measures to fill this gap with the help of digital libraries. Disaster relief, whether natural or man-made demands immediate and informed response in an environment where the local infrastructure may be unpredictable or severely damaged. Digital library technology can quickly create organized collections of information, graced with comprehensive searching and browsing capabilities. Digital library technology also opens new opportunities to enter the global marketplace. Developing countries have long undertaken low-level information-processing tasks. The varied demands of digital library development, such as manual metadata extraction, cataloging, and information presentation, greatly expands the range of tasks the developing world can undertake, creating valuable new export markets. Users should be empowered to produce digital library collections themselves, not just consume information produced elsewhere. Greenstone software incorporates a collection-building wizard that allows nonprogramming users to create and organize digital library collections. Digital libraries give computer professionals a golden opportunity to help reverse the negative impact of information technology on developing countries.