Adlib Internet Server

Presentation

The appearance of the Adlib Internet Server pages can be tailored to suit your house style. This makes it easy to fully integrate the internet server collections search into your existing website.

User-friendly

Your website may be used by many different audiences; researchers, students, school pupils, internal employees or interested members of the public - each with a different set of requirements. That’s why the Internet Server features many different search options, as well as different presentation options for search results. If necessary, you can work simultaneously with multiple web applications – each designed for a specific target group, catalogue or collection. As with all Adlib Software, full multi-lingual presentation is possible.

Search options

To start with, users can choose from:

• Simple search – Users can simultaneously search one or more catalogues by entering a keyword or a name into a single search box. No other data entry is needed.
• Advanced search – This search is appropriate if users want to search on more than one word or name at a time, and also want to specify the field(s) to be search on. System keyword and name lists can be browsed and clicked on to retrieve data.
• Expert search – This option builds on the features of the Advanced search, particularly aimed at experienced users or researchers who need to enter complex search queries using logical operators.
• Themed search – You can also search by theme: a pre-defined search can be triggered by clicking on a hyperlink contained in text or displayed as an image on a web page. This enables you to publish a ‘recent acquisitions’ list, or to create on-line exhibitions or themed data sets, for example.

Displaying and using search results

As in Adlib database applications, search results are displayed in a list format. When users click on an entry in the list, that record’s content is shown in detail on a tab sheet. But that is not all: depending on the collection searched, different presentation styles can be selected from the Results or Details tab sheet. For example, museum collections offer a Gallery option, which displays a lightbox style presentation of images. Users are able to specify the sort order of search results, and mark records as required in order to build a personal selection set. Records can then be printed, e-mailed or downloaded.

Tagging and Commenting

To encourage your web audience to interact with your database, the internet server software includes a ‘tagging’ function which allows users to apply keywords to database records. These keywords are then available to help other users when searching. Furthermore, the ‘comments’ function allows you to invite your users to submit comments or reviews on your database material. You can of course moderate the comments (and tags) submitted and permit them to be re-published on the site. You can also invite the upload of media files to your database if you wish.

These features offer a simple and secure way to develop a web based community of interest around your collections.

Additional Modules for Adlib Library

For users of the Adlib Library software there are a number of additional modules available for the Adlib Internet Server:

• Online loan requests and reservations Registered borrowers at a library can log in and reserve selected titles, and see their own data on the Status Tab – including which items they currently have on loan.
• Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) Registered users can create an SDI profile and be automatically emailed details of new material matching their profile.
• Full text searching Content of electronic documents, such as Word or pdf, can be free-text searched.

Security

Adlib databases may contain sensitive information, such as insurance details, personal names and addresses. The Adlib Internet Server only displays the information that you want to make public. You retain complete control over access to your data and, if you wish, you can password protect access to particular types of information or particular features.

Your own web application

We supply the Adlib Internet Server, which is a completely ready-to-use web application, but we can also work together with you to create a custom-made web solution. The graphic design of the user interface will be carried out with the help of a design company, while Adlib Information Systems specialise in the database aspects of the application development.

Adlib API

Adlib API opens a world of possibilities, offering a powerful tool for interacting with Adlib databases. For example you can share metadata with digital assets management systems (Dams) or serve data for use in web applications, web stores and mobile applications. Using the API you can easily draw data from Adlib, for your own web applications, by using one of the three available methods: URL requests, Adlib.Data Windows dll or jQuery plugin. You can find all information about the Adlib API including code samples, demos, downloads and a user forum on api.adlibsoft.com website.

Hosting

If you do not wish to host your web application online yourself, or if your internet service provider does not want to host a database on its website, then we can offer you the web hosting service. When you use our hosted services, you are not purchasing software and a support agreement in the conventional manner. Instead, you pay to use them with a single annual subscription which covers everything needed to make your system work, and keep it running smoothly. We offer a competitively-priced service level agreement that includes the Adlib software licensing, the software maintenance agreement, Microsoft licensing, user authentication management and provision and maintenance of the server hardware. The Adlib web application can be seamlessly integrated into your existing website. Visitors will not notice that they are being transferred to another server when accessing particular parts of your site.

Technology

Adlib Information Systems use the latest .NET and XML technologies to develop web applications. Because these technologies are not Adlib-specific, external application developers need only limited knowledge of Adlib to construct a web application that will work with an Adlib database, such as file names, fields and indexes. Developers need familiarity with HTML and CSS, XML and XSL technologies.

System requirements

Please contact Adlib for information about system requirements.