Accessing and Displaying Images

Although there is not any one best way to describe images or search for them, we have two techniques. The first involves a standard search technique well known to everyone on Campus: the library computer system. We have a CARL (Colorado Association of Research Libraries) system which serves all 14 campuses of the University of Maryland System. We are converting our bibliographic entries to MARC format and loading them on the CARL system. Images will not be loaded; even thumbnail images would take up too much space.

Initially, the library search will be only a text-based process, users will not see images. We are designing and beginning the implementation of an application which will perform searching functions similar to the library client software. However, it will also link to one or more image servers to access the images. In this way, for the cost of developing one application program for users' computers, we can provide an image look-up and display service.

The second search technique is designed specifically for students who are taking classes requiring image study. An undergraduate student has implemented the applications alluded to above under Providing Campus-wide Access. The first, called MultiSlide, permits a student to simultaneously view as many images from the class list as he or she cares to. The second, QuizSlide, is a flash-card-like self-test program which randomly presents the user with images from a preselected set. Clicking on a button will display the description of the image. Both are Windows-based programs written in Visual Basic.

In MultiSlide™, the student selects the desired class by clicking on its name in a list. The list of all of the images for the class appear in a scrollable window; it is actually just an ASCII file so is easy to prepare. The student scrolls through the file and double clicks on the name of the image to be viewed. The image is loaded from across the network and displayed. Multiple images can be displayed at one time although a 1024x768 screen size imposes a practical limit of three or four. The ASCII text file is prepared from the data enter via WordPerfect.

In QuizSlide™, the student also selects the desired class by clicking on its name in a list. Next, the name of the set of images to be self-quizzed on for that class is selected from a list. For example, one quiz list could be all of the images in the course, another could be those to be covered on the midterm exam, and another could be the floor plans of all of the buildings studied. Once the list is selected, an image is randomly selected and displayed for identification. Students can confirm their identifications by clicking on a button.

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