HomeAll you need to know about CARP Digital Repository

All you need to know about CARP Digital Repository

Index

Purpose of CARP Digital Repository

Organization of the digital repository

Meaning of the logo used in this site

How to use the system

Administration main features

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Purpose of CARP Digital Repository

The CARP Digital Repository is the digital and internet version of the physical objects stored in boxes in the Special Collections area of the Ned R. McWherter Library, in the University of Memphis (Memphis, TN., USA).  The public site allows users to gain an overview of the contents of the repository.  The digital repository also make it possible to share the specific documents and papers from the repositiory with scholars who have approved access to those documents. The project looks to digitize and publish into the Web the most important documents that have not been previously published. The CARP Digital Repository is designed with non-IT specialists in mind, allowing researchers to focus on content and interpretation rather than programming.

The CARP Digital Repository is a web application that makes accessible, from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection, all the digital versions of the physical documents, in a simple, logical, and unscary way. It can:

  • Handle large archives of metadata and files (with over 1 million items). The only limitations are the hosting server.
  • Accept and stores all types of files, including images, video, audio, multi-page documents and PDFs, Power Point presentations, et al.
  • Individual items may contain multiple files.
  • Multiple categories can be created

CARP Digital Repository allows:

  • Multiple access points to the repository: by the search engine, the list of repository objects, by collections, through exhibitions, tag clouds, geolocation, timelines, etc.
  • Advanced searches in any of the fields in the Dublin Core metadata schema and labels (Dublin Core, W3C, section 508...). With no limits for collection, document type, etc.
  • Ability to contribute to the repository with comments or uploading files.
  • Ability to subscribe to the content through RSS feeds or Atom.
  • Personalization, staff favorites, and personal tagging, as well as sharing and marking content and personalized reports.

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 CARP Digital Repository Organization

 This site is organized by authors where each author has his own collection. Each collection has a specific numeration that matches the box numbers of the physical archive. For example, the H. Wagner repository is composed by boxes started in the number 100. Here is a list of box serial and the collection it holds:

A collection is composed of items. If in the item you find an image icon or file indicator, you can open the digital version of the object, in PDF or image format. Remember, all material is Copyrighted.

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 The Significance of the Logo

The logo used in this site is an abstraction of a lotus flower, the CARP symbol. The image represenst a new way to access the information, where each layer signifies a different approach you can take when you are researching using the material in this site. The colors stand for the variousl kinds of information that you can find in a CARP digital repository object.

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How to use this site

This site is designed to be intuitive. There are some features you might want to know to take advantage of it. The site has tabs to make easy the navigation: browse collections, browse items, browse exhibits, C.A.R.P, Login and how to use.  To request permission for access to specific items or collections for research purposes, please contact Thomas Nenon at tnenon@memphis.edu.

The first three tabs allow you to navigate in each type of element. The C.A.R.P tab allows you to visit the main site of the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology. The Login tab enable authorized users to log into the system and browse or modify -depending of the role permission- items in the repository.

To search inside the repository, use the box in the top of the page:

You can make a simple search using the box, or a complex search using the advance search option. For example, you can search all the elements in a box, just match the specific field (see Dublin codes) Source with the number of the box you are looking for, 200 for example.

Fields of each item and Dublin core metadata

The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all CARP Digital Repository records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. This means that the CARP repository follows this standards:

Even all items are enabled, this are the most common used:

Additional features for each items

The system generates automatically a citation to be copied and used for the researcher.Also, you can suggest any change of the item, using the link "Dear researcher. If you want to suggest a change or modification, do not hesitate to use this option. Thanks for your contribution.". Depending of your user priviledge level, you can comment on any item. The goal of the comments is to create a community of knowledge between the different researchs

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Administration main features

Administrator can create items, collections, users, etc. An important topic is the role of each user (see Managing users)

Private area (Dashboard)

 The CARP Digital Repository administrative panel, or Dashboard, is where you go to manage all of the information. This is a Dashboard:

From the Dashboard you can quickly find tabs at the top of the Dashboard that act as navigation and take you to the different functions of the repository including:

Add an Item

  1. From your dashboard click "Add new item to your archive."
  2. This takes you to the admin/items/add page where you see a navigation bar on the left pointing you to different sections of adding an item. At any time, you may check the “Public and/or “Featured” boxes at the top of the item form. You may also change this status from the /admin/items page without needing to re-open the individual item.
  3. The first tab shows the Dublin Core metafields. These are available for every item in the archive. Each field can have multiple values; Simply click the "Add Input" link below each field title to add a new input for that field.
  4. The item type section lets you choose a specific item type for the object you are adding. Once you choose the type, relevant metadata fields appear for you to complete. (See Managing Item Types for information about adding/editing item types.)
  5. The Collection section allows you to add this item to a collection. Collections must already exist in the system before you can add an item to the collection. (See Managing Collections for information about adding/editing collections.)
  6. The Files section lets you upload multiple files to an item. Clicking the "Add Another File" link will reveal another field for adding a file. You can associate any number of files to an item. Read more about Managing_Files.
  7. The Tags tab allows you add keyword tags to your item.
  8. Be sure to click the "Add Item" button to save your data.

Delete an Item

You can delete an item by visiting that item's edit page, and clicking the "Delete this Item" button at the bottom of the form.

Create a Collection

  1. Click on the "Collections" tab in the /admin interface top navigation bar. Any collections you create will be listed on the /admin/collections page.
  2. Click, "Add a Collection."
  3. Name and describe your collection, or add the name of a donor/collector.
  4. Determine if you want this collection visible to the public.
  5. You may associate an item with this collection, and all others you create, when adding or editing an item.
  6. Be sure to click "Save Collection" to save your newly-created collection.
  7. Edit a Collection
  8. You may edit collections at any time by going to the Collections tab and clicking the edit button found to the right of the named collection.

Adding Items to Collections

First you must create the collection, and then you may add an item to it through the add/edit item form. See Managing Items.
An item may only belong to one collection a time. You may switch collection associations for an item at any time.

Managing Users

Manage users by clicking on the Settings button in the right corner of your dashboard. Users with the level "Super" may give other users access to the digital repository. Different levels of users in Omeka have different levels of access in the administrative panel:

Add/Edit a User

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