An image is worth a thousand words

The largest public library in Canada will use content management software to improve access to its large digital asset collection. The new system from Stellent will enable the Toronto Public Library staff and visitors to store and view large digital files and manage the metadata component of its Digital Collections and Virtual Reference Library. The collection includes more than 100,000 digital files and is expected to grow by more than 20,000 images annually.

"Approximately 16.6 million people visit our library each year, and many of them utilize our Digital Collections and Virtual Reference Library to obtain information," says Kathy Scardellato, manager of the Virtual Reference Library. "The [content management solution] will allow us to provide these individuals with easier, more efficient access to our digital content through the Web. The system is highly scalable, which will support the substantial growth in our content base each year, and its open architecture enables us to easily integrate it with our current technology environment."

Stellent Content Management will enable the Toronto Public Library to efficiently store and view its large digital files on the Web and utilize LizardTech's (lizardtech.com) MrSID technology, which enables users to zoom, pan and manipulate images to retrieve data with the detail needed, according to a press release from Stellent.

The system will also manage the metadata component of the library, and make the digital content available worldwide. Integrator Locus Systems will oversee the implementation and integrate the system with the library's Sun Solaris operating system and BEA portal