Executive Summary. This chapter summarizes, compares, and evaluates the systems and software components that the WTEC team learned about in Japan. The baseline for comparison is a reference set of digital library capabilities. As usual, various technology enablers can be deployed to realize the desired capabilities.

These capabilities lead to a derivation of an abstract reference architecture relative to which systems may be discussed. The chapter briefly characterizes the baseline capabilities; develops the reference model; and compares, contrasts, and fits what was observed in Japan to these reference points.

The team was not charged to investigate digital library implementations in detail, so both architecture and systems will be described from a general or reference model standpoint.The team did find, however, that the concept of digital library is frequently explicit in Japan, both in the plans of technology providers, where numerous point solutions, components, and products were seen, and in operational information management approaches in businesses, universities, and museums.

The WTEC teams found many different architectural approaches and system designs. In this presentation, I have chosen a few examples in order to develop the general findings. Not all sites WTEC visited are represented, but most of the main themes observed on the trip are discussed here.