Elias Tzoc blog!

We currently use DSpace for the Scholarly Commons project -hosted at the OhioLINK DRC-, and we plan to add other non-text collections in the future.  For the web interface, we’re using Manakin –which enables communities and collections to establish a unique look and feel.

A basic check list for setting up a theme for a collection/community:
1. Get the collection/community’s handle (e.g. 123456789/1)
2. Install the new theme (details can be found on this page)
3. Locate and edit the xmlui.xconf file (found in your DSpace config directory)
4. Restart Tomcat and done!

<this image may illustrate the memo>

Being able to customize the look and feel at the collection/community level, will become essential for a digital repository with different types of digital content (e.g. text, images, moving images, etc).

Last week (March 18-20), I attended this annual meeting at Purdue University. A page with all the details of the program can be accessed here. It was again great to get to see/meet colleagues that we often communicate with -electronically- …as well as enjoy some good food!

On the 18th, the day started with the keynote address by Geri Ingram from OCLC. We got some interesting updates and tips for the migration process to version 5.0 or 5.1 -to be released in May. On that day, I also did a 1.5 presentation/s:

a) Bulk uploading CONTENTdm images & metadata into Flickr by Jason Michel and myself

b) Re-Indexing CONTENTdm Fields for Searching and Browsing

Since we spoke quite a bit about PHP; for the last session, I chose to go and hear about the use of Python to move library catalog data into CONTENTdm -good and informative one!

On the 19th, I found the “Text-based projects in CONTENTdm” presentation very interesting! -especially now, when our own text-based collection -Miami Student Newspaper- has become the most popular among all current collections.

Last but not least, it was great to know that the gathering in 2010 will be in Iowa City!

…for the upcoming MidWest CONTENTdm Users Group meeting at Purdue University, I’ll be presenting a basic web application for re-indexing metadata fields and creating new browse and search features.  You’re welcome to try any of the tools by accessing this page.  This is a good example of how a PHP script can transfrom a regular CONTENTdm custom XML file and create:

a)  a tagcloud or a navigation list for browsing
b)  an autosuggest for searching

…to view an actual digital collection with these features, visit the Miami Student Newspaper Collection.

…after a couple of hours of work (test), now I can see some progress on a WordPress theme re-design.  It was originally a blueberry theme, but now -after all the changes and lines UNintentionally deleted- it doesn’t really look like a blueberry anymore …but it may be close to what I initially had  in mind, …will let you judge!