VITA 6.5 Upgrade

This release is all about being smooth…streamlined IP-restriction options and display, upgraded tools for improving PDF images from microfilm, faster data exports, and we squashed a few bugs!

Display

Distinguishing IP-restricted content in a blended collections

Make sure all your users know when IP-restricted material is available in-house; plus, new record-level control on restrictions

Quick cues for Public Access
Improve display and full text extraction

Sharpen up your microfilm images on the fly

Improve the display and OCR for microfilm scanned to PDF with a simple “yes” during upload.

Management

More, faster data exports

You asked and we heard you! New export record options in CSV format

Manage your site branding

Uploading a new banner or favicon? At-a-glance reminder shows who can manage your site branding

Little fixes:
Bugs begone!

Improved hit highlighting on JPGs, trouble-free Vessels advanced search & locking zoom levels for Google maps

OurDigitalWorld Newsletter December 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, our latest Quarterly newsletter offers some wonderful news and updates on important work:

  • Celebrating 10 years of OurDigitalWorld
  • 90 Years after the Holodomor
  • Projects
    • Enacting Reconciliation
    • Ensuring Accessibility
    • OurOntario.ca upcoming upgrades
  • Digital Collection Highlights
    • Making news in the Durham Region
    • Explore the Greater Chicago Area
  • Register now for OLA Super Conference 2023

Read more here

What’s new with VITA 6.4

VITA Digital Collections Toolkit was upgraded in September 2022, making it easier for user to provide better attribution and search results. This version upgrade means users can automatically assign copyright labels, process text items with OCR and hit highlighting, and share improved display for linked index records and more…

Exciting new changes include:

  • digital files uploaded as category “page” can automatically generate OCR and apply hit highlighting to search results – great for newspaper issues, documents, even headstone photos!
  • copyright holder statements can be automatically applied to serial publications 95 years old or younger (here’s how)
  • index records with links to digital pages will now display the linked page image in the details panel instead of the sidebar
  • personal information and cookies policy statements are now available for both VITA users and the public
  • apply “section” fields for non-newspaper pages e.g. Chapter headings
  • updated “help” for on-screen support (and correlating MAP updates)

Want to stay up to date with VITA Toolkit news? Sign up here

What’s new with VITA 6.3

In April 2022, the VITA Digital Collections Toolkit was upgraded to version 6.3. This release includes a balance of public engagement features and back-end management options. Inspired by feedback from the user community on both sides of the collections, VITA 6.3 focuses on: increasing linked discovery (like indexing non-Newspaper volumes); better search options (like search within Publication and on/off filters for results sets); expanding and scoping VITA collection audiences (with OAI-PMH integrations and IP restricted sites); and some fun stuff like interactive jigsaw puzzles and enhanced pan-zoom viewing. We hope you will explore the collections to see some of the changes!

Improved & Engaging Public Site options

  • Contribute Audio/Video/Document files to eligible accounts
  • Search within a Publication (e.g. Home & Country Newsletters) allows your results to stay focused on a single volume or newspaper publication
  • Jigsaw puzzles for a different way to interact with historical images
  • Optional indexing for non-newspaper volumes like church or cemetery records
  • Results filters for instant scoping and backing up through results sets
  • Browser-activated audio/video player
  • IIIF viewer for pan-zoom-rotate view of all Full, Detail and Reverse images (e.g. this postcard)
Jigsaw Puzzles

New Audience Options: Integrations and Scoped sites

  • OAI-PMH feature for extending discovery in other spaces like the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
  • IP limited sites for collections with access restrictions (talk to us about this option)

For a full description of all VITA 6.3 upgrades for the public and VITA users, see our latest VITA Partner newsletter