Digital Library Center Blog | UF

The UF Digital Collections now has a new map interface. It’s only out in beta right now, but it’s already awesome. The new map interface is explained here and active in beta here.

The new interface allows users to:

• Search by address
• Search by selecting a point on a map
• Search by selecting an area on a map

The new interface is for the Florida historical aerial photographs, which people often use to find information on land use for a small area. The aerials are taken in flight lines, and so they cover large areas. To make them usable in the ideal manner, people need to be able to search by the address and then see the results that are closest to that address both overall (the flight level, with some matches) and the tile/individual photograph level for the exact matches.

Luckily for everyone involved with the Florida aerials, the UF Digital Collections, and for all of the users of all of the collections, Mark Sullivan both implemented the searching by collection and new functionality for using the results at the flight and tile levels.

For instance, see the results lists with all of the items and their locations like this. By clicking on one of those flights, then the matching individual tiles within the flight are shown on the left side like this.

As incredibly exciting as this is, what’s really exciting – to me – is how this continues the overall smart design of all of UFDC by making sure that all work serves existing and future needs. For future needs, this will eventually be incorporated into the online metadata editing. Then, people will able to draw an area or add a point to a Google map and have that automatically add the latitude and longitude to the metadata. Once the information is there, then everyone will be able to view and find those items using the map interface.

It can’t show all of the value from smart design and optimally leveraging new technologies. Of course, that doesn’t really matter because the new map interface is incredible even when viewed in isolation, so try it out!

The UF Digital Collections (UFDC) now allows users who log in to:

• Send an item to a friend via email
• Save an item to your bookshelf and add user comments to the item (comments are not displayed to others on the item, but will show within your bookshelf)
• Save a search, or browse to your favorite searches
• Share an item (via Facebook, Twitter, DIGG, StumbleUpon, Yahoo, Yahoo Buzz, Google Bookmarks, Browser favorites)
• Manage your bookshelves and saved searches through the myUFDC home page

Details for Print, Send, Save/Add, and Share:

From the UF Digital Collections, users can Print, Send, Save/Add, and Share collections, items, and searches.

Print

Clicking the Print button simply prints collection and search pages. For items, users can choose to print:

• Citation only
• Thumbnails
• Current page (prints page as displayed for zoomed views)
• All pages
• A range of pages

Share

The Share button allows users to share the collection, item, and search using Facebook, Twitter, DIGG, StumbleUpon, Yahoo, Yahoo Buzz, Google Bookmarks, and Browser favorites.

Send

The Send button allows users to send an email with the current collection, item, or search.  The Send button is only active when users are logged in (users can log in using Gatorlink or myUFDC for those without Gatorlink accounts).

Save/Add

The Save/Add button also requires users to log in. This button is either Save or Add depending on context.

On search pages, the Save button allows users to save their searches. Users can access all of their saved searches from the main myUFDC page.

On collection and item pages, the Add button allows users to Add collections to their personal homepages and can add items to bookshelves.

myUFDC Home

myUFDC Home is the first page after users log in, and it links to the user’s bookshelves, saved searches, and collections.

Bookshelves

Users can add new bookshelves, manage existing bookshelves, and make bookshelves public.

Public Bookshelf

The example below is online here.

Saved Searches

My Collections

“The Longtail of News” by the Toronto Star‘s public editor Kathy English is an excellent report for the effects of networked, persistent access to information in respect to the public good and the accuracy of current and archived information.

With three iPhone apps out, downloads have increased, with 45 downloads of the main SobekPH App from 3/1-3/7/2010, 14 downloads of the Baldwin SobekPH app, and 5 downloads of the UF Archives SobekPH App. Given that the Baldwin and UF Archives apps were only out for 1/2 of the week, 19 downloads in just a few days means we’re already showing great results for sharing the UF Digital Collections more widely.

Hopefully all of the folks downloading the apps are also showing the apps and sharing with friends!

More content is almost always better, so the SobekPH App for accessing multiple collections from the UF Digital Collections is best for more content. However because each of the collections already has such a vast supply of content to offer, we’re also starting to release iPhone Apps for each of the individual collections.

Two new iPhone Apps are now available, one for UF’s University Archives photographs and another for the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature Digital Collection. Check them out in the App store (SobekPH UF Archives and SobekPH Baldwin), or see them online in the UF Digital Collections!

The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release with links can be viewed on the agency’s Web site at
http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/030210.shtm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2010

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632

Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS and SGS Issue Report on the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage

Washington, DC-The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Salzburg Global Seminar announce release of the report, “Connecting to the World’s Collections: Making the Case for Conservation and Preservation of Our Cultural Heritage” based on a seminar held in Salzburg, Austria, October 28-November 1, 2009. The seminar, part of the IMLS’s multi-year initiative on collections care, Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, explored global themes related to conservation and preservation, including international needs, issues, perspectives, and accomplishments.

The report includes practical recommendations to ensure optimal
collections conservation worldwide and the Salzburg Declaration on the Conservation and Preservation of Cultural, which was passed by 60 participants hailing from 32 countries. The session combined presentations by leading experts in conservation and preservation throughout the world with small working groups tasked to make recommendations for future action in key areas, including emergency preparedness, education and training, public awareness, new preservation approaches, and assessment and planning. To access these resources, click here: http://www.salzburgglobal.org/2009/News.cfm?IDMedia=52858.

“Connecting to the World’s Collections: Making the Case for Conservation and Preservation of Our Cultural Heritage” is available in PDF format at www.imls.gov/pdf/SGS_Report.pdf. A limited number of printed copies can be requested by e-mailing imlsinfo@imls.gov.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

About the Salzburg Global Seminar
The Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent, non-governmental
organization with its headquarters at the magnificent Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria. For 62 years, the Seminar has brought together leaders, scholars, practitioners, and students from the fields of politics, economics, law, media, culture and the arts to address issues of global concern. Its faculty, fellows, and staff come from diverse regions, backgrounds, and professional expertise. To learn more about the Seminar, please visit www.salzburgglobal.org