|
Revised:May 6, 2004 |
The following sections outline the basic structure, content and
functions of the Tufts Digital Library. Please visit the
About section of the Tufts Digital Library for more information.
Please scroll down or use the table of contents to the left to navigate
through the topics included in the TDL Help Area.
The Tufts Digital Library currently supports access to digital content
in the form of text documents, EAD-structured finidng aids, and images.
Anticipated additions to Tufts Digital Library include content in
the forms of PDF, audio, video, and other multimedia formats. If you
are interested in finding out more about the types of content included
in the Digital Library, or the content contribution process, please
visit the Services section of the
Tufts Digital Library.
Content resources included in the digital library are discoverable
based on the information they contain, the format in which they exist,
how the materials are described, and as a result of their association
with archival and manuscripts collections managed by the Digital
Collections and Archives, Tufts University (DCA).
The homepage of the TDL provides information about the digital library,
basic and advanced search areas, contact information for the supporting
departments at Tufts University, and links to the About, Services,
and Help areas. Clicking on the "Tufts Digital Library"
graphic in the TDL top header will return to the TDL homepage at any
time.
Basic Search Interface
The Basic Search interface, located on the left side-bar of the
TDL pages, allows patrons to search broadly across the available
TDL resources. Three types of basic searches are offered in the
Basic Search Interface: All, Full text,
and Metadata.
All searches the broadest combination of information
about and included in a text document. The body of text documents,
bibliographic information about the text documents, and descriptive
information about images are queried in an All
search.
Full text searches the body of a text document,
excluding any bibliographic information.
Metadata searches the bibliographic information
about a resource, title and descriptive information about an image,
and select types of information included in a text document, such
as locations, personal names, and dates - when available.
Please see Advanced Search Interface
and the Glossary for
more details about the types of information selected for Metadata
searching.
Search results may be returned in groups of 10, 25, or 50. The
default is 10 search results listed per page. Use Results
per page drop-down menu to select the desired number of
results viewable on each page.
Use the page numbers in the lower right corner of the search results
listing to move to the next pages of results.
The Advanced Search Interface offers patrons the
ability to apply up to three metadata filters, choosing from 11
categories of information types, to their searches in order to refine
or constrain a Full text search.
All searches the broadest combination of bibliographic
information about and included in a text document, along with the
descriptive information about an image. It combines all of the categories
listed below:
| Creator |
Person, business, or organization
responsible for creating the resource.
Example: Miller returns Russell Miller's
Light on the Hill
|
| Collection |
Identification value applied to resources
in the TDL that reflects its association with physical or
intellectual collections administarted by the DCA. The combination
of letters and numbers matches with the collection numbering
found in the DCA finding aids.
Example: MS036 returns resources
from the Melville Munro Collection (collection number MS036
in the DCA's collections management system) |
| Date |
Specific years associated either with
the resource's creation or online availability in the TDL.
Also searches some historical dates within the body of text
documents. Dates are most often by year only.
Example: 1966 returns resources
with a date of 1966. |
| Description |
Brief passage or notes about the resource
contained in the descriptive or bibliographic information.
Example: history of Tufts returns Russell
Miller's Light on the Hill
|
| Organizations |
Corporate entities, business names, and other
groups officially identified in text documnets and in the descriptive
information for images.
Example: Jackson College Nurses standing
behind the Ziskind Laboratory, ca. 1964 |
| People |
Individuals selected for identification in
text documnets and in the descriptive information for images.
Example: Marshall returns image titled John
P. Marshall, 1879 |
| Places |
Locations selected for identification in text
documnets and in the descriptive information for images.
Example: Theater District returns image titled
Nurses standing behind the Ziskind Laboratory, ca. 1964
|
| Topics |
Terms or values selected for identification
of broader categorization of an object.
Example: Buildings returns
image titled Nurses standing behind the Ziskind Laboratory,
ca. 1964 |
| Title |
Name used to identify the resource.
Example: Hill returns Russell Miller's Light
on the Hill |
| Type |
Defines the intellectual format of the
resource, taken from Dublin Core's definitions of object types.
Example: text returns Russell Miller's Light
on the Hill
|
Please see the Glossary
for a more detailed explanation of how these cataegories are defined
and what sources are selected, in terms of TEI, EAD, Dublin Core,
and TDL elements.
Search results may be returned in groups of 10, 25, or 50. The
default is 10 search results listed per page. Use Results
per page drop-down menu to select the desired number of
results viewable on each page.
Use the page numbers in the upper and/or lower right
corner of the search results listings to move to the next group
of results. After the first ten groups, click on next to
proceed to the remaining groups, on group at a time.
Building searches in the TDL
Additional help with Searching TDL is forthcoming.
Text
In-text illustrations
Image Overview (Basic Image Viewer)
Advanced Image Viewer
Requires Java Applet
Printer-friendly output is an anticipated feature of the TDL, scheduled
to be implemented by Fall 2004.
For texts, it is currently advised to highlight the section you are
interested in printing, select the print option from your browser's
file menu and choose selection.
It is not recommended that the browser's printer icon be used, as sections
of documents may produce an excessive number of pages when printed.
For images, you may right-click and print the image overview initially
provided.
No printing capabilities are provided from the advanced image viewer.
Ifyou would like a higher-resolution copy of the image, in digital or
printed form, please request a copy from the Digital Collections and
Archives, or the contributing institution, using the "Request a
copy of this image" link located in the Resource Inspector area.
General Help Topics and FAQs:
Why do some resources have watermarks or other obscuring marks?
Why can't I print from the Advanced Image Viewer?
This section provides brief Tufts Digital Library-specific definitions
for terms used throughout the TDL:
| Advanced
Image Viewer |
TDL Java Applet allows for a more interactive
viewing experience than the basic viewer. Advanced Image Viewer
opens in a new page. Default view is set to fit the image within
the viewing space. Other viewing options include 100% and the ability
to pan the image by clicking and dragging on any point, zooming
in and zooming out to fit. Requires
Java Applet. |
| All Search |
A search using the broadest combination of information
about and included for a resource. The body of text documents, bibliographic
information about the text documents, and descriptive information
about images are queried. |
| Basic Image Viewer
|
Allows patrons to quickly view a low resolution
image. Requires no plug-ins or applets. |
| Full text |
Any text included in a document, as defined as the
front matter, body, and back matter. This encompasses title pages,
dedications, the work itself, epilogues, etc. |
| Full text Search |
A search which is restricted to just the front matter,
body, and back matter of a document. See full text. |
| Image |
A resource that is photographic in origin or visually
accessible in its near-to original form, such as a scanned page
of a book or a letter that has not been transcribed to text.
Most images are not discoverable using full text searching. However,
some documents provided as images (PDFs, etc.) may include hidden
transcriptions and will provide results in a full text search.
Image is also a term used to identify the format of a resource.
"Image" can be entered as a constraint in the advanced
search metadata "type" category in order to filter returned
serach results. |
| Metadata |
Terms used to identify and describe a resource.
TDL uses the following metadata and text document structuring
schemes: METS, Dublin Core, EAD, TEI.
TDL makes OAI-compliant metadata available for harvesting. |
| Metadata Search |
|
| Resource Inspector
|
The expandable area to the left of the viewing area
in the TDL and below the basic and advanced search areas. Information
and tools related to "inspecting" a selected resource
are included in this area. |
| Text |
A resource that is textual in origin or accessible
in a transcribed form, such as a book that has been made accessible
as a digital resoource or a letter that has been transcribed to
serachable text.
Most texts are discoverable using full text searching and/or
metadata seraching. However, some documents, or parts of them,
may be provided as images (PDFs, image books, etc.). Unless they
contain hidden transcriptions, they will not provide results in
a full text search.
Text is also a term used to identify the format of a resource.
"Text" can be entered as a constraint in the advanced
search metadata "type" category in order to filter returned
search results. |
| |
|
Additional Help Resources
Please contact the Digital Collections and Archives via email at archives@tufts.edu
or telephone (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday) if your questions
have not been addressed in the help area, you'd like to report an error
in content, display, or function; or if you'd like to comment on your
Tufts Digital Library experience.
We appreciate your feedback.
|
