Information retrieval is the activity of obtaining information resources relevant to an information need from a collection of information resources. Automated information retrieval systems are used to reduce what has been called "information overload"
Information overload refers to the difficulty a person can have understanding an issue and making decisions that can be caused by the presence of too much information. Among other concern is the "contamination" of useful information with information that might not be entirely accurate (Information pollution). It is the duty of all libraries to contribute, assist and clarify this important problem of the modern globalization era.
That is why, from beginning of TinREAD system design, we had in our mind not to split but to gather all information resources used by a library. In this context, every version of TinREAD have the Basic Digital Library Functionality integrated in it.
Everyone can store and manage document covers connected with bibliographic description and thus to contribute to easy access to information or create and extend from traditional open access to shelf, an open access of anyone to the great exhibition of all digital documents covers.
Also, these modules complies to OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) which is a protocol developed by the Open Archives Initiative. OAI-PMH is also based on a client–server architecture (like Z39.50 protocol), in which "harvesters" request information on updated records from "repositories". TinREAD is provideing XML metadata in Dublin Core format, and may also provide it in other XML formats as you need. Most often, this modules are used by our clients to join Europeana Digital Library as members.
The Basic Digital Library Functionality offers the ability to store and manage full-text documents, images, audio and/or video files linked to the related bibliographic records from the database.
On the other hand, TinREAD.Expert is a modern DLS and you can get with it the very best of TinREAD. The Expert of the family is carefully designed for huge national/international projects involving Information Retrieval. This special version includes the entire functionality of a traditional ILS and adds specific functionality to DLS (Digital Library System). A lot of Expert options are not available in Standard version (ex. FRBR cataloguing). Content Management, Real Application Cluster and Disaster Recovery components available from Oracle makes it the most suitable RDBMS for such projects. All this complex integration in supporting DLS in TinREAD.Expert is referred further on as Extended Digital Library Functionality.
Beyond the integration with all other TinREAD modules and consortia support Digital Library Toolkit is the most important feature of TinREAD.Expert version. Digital Library Toolkit means for TinREAD.Expert more than just attaching full-text to bibliographical descriptions, or just searching the text inside. The full set of tools is available starting with the process of digitizing materials, describing them at bibliographical level and also describing their structure and finally indexing and placing them in the proper repository.
- Input/Scanning module is a powerful completely automated piece of software allowing digitizing book or materials that are available in hardcopy format. ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) functionality is available in order to minimize human intervention. Bibliographical description might be allowed by the System Administrator in this early stage in order to make two steps at one time and to minimize the time of the digitization process. Using the benefit of METS and ALTO standards, TinREAD can work, even without human interaction, for digitizing process with digital recognition of distinct parts of bibliographic description and creation of main or component parts of document descriptions.
- Content module adds digital information to each bibliographical record available in ILS database. The content, structure and formatting, is managed by TinREAD itself and together with the bibliographical data produces a complete digital representation of the original material. TinREAD can manage all digitized formats including but not restricted to: picture files, audio files, video files, full-text files (HTML, PDF, RTF, DOC) etc. The content is structured and divided into its original pieces (chapters, table of contents etc.) using an intuitive scheme easily understood by readers. Applying styles to the structured content and formatting it a very accurate digital representation of the original work is obtained.
- Digital Rights Management - easy way to design your digital library access; this is based on DRM type (copyright free, preview only, intranet only etc.), concurrent access, minimum age, availability and so on.
- Annotation tool is a specialized module allowing users to annotate text and to maintain a useful “self-database” for all consulted documents. Each user registered to the system can create and manipulate its own “articles” referring to one (or many) documents. Just by clicking a button user can add its own comments on the text and to attach a subject to this comment. These articles (annotations) can be ordered, searched, printed in a bibliography etc. Each article has the short bibliographical description and also contains a link to the exact place of the full-text referred. This tool proves to be very useful in the learning and researching processes. Thus a digital book is not only a book on another support but something more, is a book organized by the reader’s choice.
In the context of Annotation module we must mention that this is a personal system available in Digital Library Toolkot. The ability to work at bibliographic records level (as for traditional ILS systems) is now extended to full text level (inside it). Annotation functionality give the user the ability to create annotations inside the digital objects, edit, delete, browse and search them.
The following annotation types are available to define patron provided content:
- Highlight (just highlight the content); this is the default value
- Comment (this is patron comment on the content referred by the annotation)
- Discussion (initiate public or group discussion and expect further comments)
- Explanation (this is patron explanation for the related content; more formal and documented then a simple comment)
- Question (patron asks other patrons a question about the content); question can be generic (addressed to all or addressed to a specific Patron id)
- Ask librarian (patron asks librarian a question about the content)
- Answer (this is the answer to a Question)
- Solution (this is the final certified Answer to a Question); patrons can not define directly that an Annotation is the solution; this is selected by specialized staff (cataloger) or by patron with special access rights (teacher) or maybe the original patron that created the Question should be allowed to select one of the Answers as the Solution
- Example (this is an example for the content referred)
- Errata (this is a correction from the author)
- Addition (this is an addition from the author)
- Footnote (this is a footnote, critical note for the passage referred)
- See also (this is a reference to another bibliographic record or another Annotation)
- Teaching tip (defined by one teacher for another teacher; do not display this to students!)
- Skill (this is a skill required for student)
- Review (this is a simple review)
- Summary (this is a summary of the digital object, more elaborate review)
- Essay (this is a more complex work by patron, an essay on a particular subject or digital object)
- Misconception (a common error)
- Bias (useless info)
Annotation type is defined depending on patron selection and the work area (menu) were these operations are performed.
Digital Library Toolkit also have inside it the next features:
- Full-text search with highlight results; this is also an integrated feature which is providing access to user from WebOPAC search in bibliographic records and in digital objects too
- Internal player for audio and video files; this is very useful for those users who do not have installed on their devices such applications (computers or mobile devices)
- Internal viewer for images. Thumbnails