[Archon-L] Digital library major problems

[Wood, Thomas J]

I've been experimenting with the digital library manager as well and
finding it quite unwieldy. Far too many steps seem to be required: It
annoying to have to perform a new search each time to associate a series
of items to the same collection. 
 

Thomas J Wood 
Archivist 
Archives/Special Collections 
Norris L Brookens Library, Room 144 
University of Illinois at Springfield 
One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 
Springfield IL 62703-5407 
217-206-6520 | wood at uis.edu | <http://www.uis.edu/archives/> 

 

________________________________

From: archon-bounces at archon.org [mailto:archon-bounces at archon.org] On
Behalf Of Thiesen, John
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 2:15 PM
To: archon at archon.org
Subject: [Archon-L] Digital library major problems
Importance: High



I just upgraded to version 2.10 and have been trying again to figure out
how to use the digital library manager. I found some significant bugs.
After entering 7 scanned photos (a few with the backs also scanned), I
found that the digital library lost the "detailed description" field on
most of them. On the last one I entered, it would only let me upload one
scan; the second uploaded file just disappeared whenever I clicked
update, as did the detailed description.

 

Has anyone else encountered these bugs?

 

In addition, I find the workflow of the digital library manager
incredibly confusing and counter-intuitive:

-          why can't you go to the Digital Library Manager directly from
the Content Manager?

-          why is it necessary to select the collection, folder, etc.
for each digital item entered (instead of having it remain the same when
you're entering a whole series of digital items)?

-          Why is it necessary to click update for each individual file
linked to a digital item? Why not allow uploading/linking multiple
files, say a folder of files?

-          Why do you need to click update after each file name before
entering other information? (If you fill in the file name field and then
go enter the detailed description with first clicking update, the file
name field is blanked out.)

-          Why is it necessary to enter a title twice? Why have a title
at all? Why not just default to the uploaded file name, for example?

-          Why is it necessary to click "add" before you can enter the
URL or file name, detailed description, and other fields? Why not have
these all on one screen with one add/update click?

-           

 

I'm just totally mystified by the workflow here. Does someone have a
useful workflow for using the digital library? The official
documentation is too sketchy so far to answer any of these questions.

 

 

 

John D. Thiesen

Archivist and Co-director of Libraries

Mennonite Library and Archives

Mennonite Church USA Archives

Bethel College

 

 

http://people.bethelks.edu/jthiesen

 

 

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