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Upgrade of AtoM@DO

Posted On February 26, 2015 | 15:01 pm | by jessicas | Permalink

One year ago, ICFA launched its online database, AtoM@DO. The database has now been upgraded to a new version (2.1) of the AtoM (Access to Memory) software, which features a redesigned interface and many enhancements for searching and browsing. 

In response to user feedback, new functionality was developed within the Places taxonomy. Users can now browse a hierarchical list of geographic terms with a tree view that allows navigation from broader to narrower terms. Users can also browse an alphabetical list of places, or search within the taxonomy with a dedicated search box. A persistent Browse menu in the header gives instant access to all of AtoM@DO’s taxonomies, whether Names, Places, or Subjects. These same access points are now prominently displayed at the top of all archival records, thereby facilitating discovery of related items.

AtoM@DO’s responsive search engine has been enhanced with the implementation of Elasticsearch. Now, when a keyword search is initiated in the Search box located in the header, suggested matches appear in real time, faceted by archival description, Names, Places, or Subjects. Additionally, Place terms assigned to archival descriptions will inherit their parent terms, so that, for instance, searches for “Turkey” will automatically return results for “Istanbul.” AtoM@DO now includes more robust faceting of search results, so that users can narrow large sets quickly and target the most relevant results. The facet filters on the left-hand side of the search results page can be used to limit results by level of description, department, or creator, or by access points (Names, Places, and Subjects). 

ICFA will continue to add content to AtoM@DO. In the meantime, the collections can be discovered through a variety of channels, whether HOLLIS, WorldCat, or ArchiveGrid.