University of the Antilles, the Manioc digital library
Led by the University of the Antilles and the University of Guyana, the Manioc portal aims to modernize the collaborative digital library dedicated to the cultural, scientific, and academic treasures of the Caribbean, Amazon, and Guiana Shield. © Emil Widlund, Susan Q Yin, Nicola Lo Calzo
Our missions
- UX/UI design
- Development
- Search engine improvement
- Omeka S Integration
- RIS and Zotero compatibility
The challenges of the project
- Promote the collections: make content accessible, ensure strong SEO, and compatibility with bibliographic data standards (RIS).
- Enhance the user experience: simplify navigation and meet the needs of everyday users in the front office and librarians in the back office.
- Choose open source: because it is more flexible and collaborative. The University's independence is ensured and integrates with the open-source software suite (especially the ILS).
A multisite and multi-domain Drupal portal Drupal and Omeka S
Drupal is perfect for complex sites with advanced content management features. Omeka S allows for the management and sharing of digital collections.
The project relies on a shared collection enriched by libraries. Each library showcases its resources with a personalized section, while still allowing searches across the entire Manioc platform.
A powerful search engine at the service of documentary resources
With a very large database, we have worked on improving the performance of the search engine:
- Enabling the search of mediation content (images, videos, audio).
- Configuring the Solr search engine: autocomplete, filters, facets, and advanced full-text search.
- Optimized loading times.
Modern PDF and IIIF e-readers
We have integrated PDF readers and IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework) for an enhanced visual experience. IIIF viewers offer features such as deep zoom and smooth navigation within high-resolution images.
A fun and educational section
Content in a more user-friendly format such as quizzes about the Caribbean and Amazon, biographies to discover local figures, a focus on key moments in local history, its landmark places, etc.
An intuitive back office
A professional space for site administrators.
Advanced features for librarians
How to export your Zotero bibliographies (open-source reference management software), export in RIS format, save content as favorites, manage them in your account, etc.
