A number of public libraries are in the process of building robust digital asset management systems using Islandora, a framework built with Drupal, Fedora Commons, and Apache Solr. The systems will present rich image collections through the libraries’ websites, while also providing the organizations with powerful archival tools for their digital assets.

In this presentation, we will use the work that we are doing with Detroit Public Library and Sonoma County Library to demonstrate the capabilities of Islandora to handle any XML schema, support nearly any file type, and provide custom forms for metadata, enabling libraries to control their data entry workflow.

We will also demonstrate integration with the Drupal content management system, which creates two significant advantages: a) styling is flexible, not just in terms of the graphic design or colors around the presentation, but also in terms of how the data is presented; b) the system can be distinct from or integrated within a library's existing website, depending on which option is the best fit for the library.

Islandora is a powerful tool that can make exploring digital collections more engaging for visitors and researchers, giving them the sense that the website is truly another branch of the physical library.