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Use case
Electronic reading room
Protected digital materials need a secure environment where they can be made available under control and used comfortably.
Not all digital content can be made openly available online. Copyright-protected works, sensitive materials, special collections or historically sensitive content require clear rules for access, use, printing, download and documentation.
An electronic reading room creates a controlled digital space for use. Content can be made available to authorised users or defined workstations without forcing the institution to give up digital access altogether.
Make protected content digitally usable
Libraries, archives and museums often face the question of how to provide digital content that cannot be published openly. This may include copyright-protected works, sensitive documents, reference-only holdings, unique items or materials with specific usage rules.
The challenge is to enable digital use while respecting rights, protection requirements and institutional policies. This calls for access scenarios that precisely control who may use which content and under what conditions.
Balancing access, protection and usability
A simple viewer is usually not enough for protected content. The system needs to define whether content is available only at specific workstations, whether users may print or download, whether access is time-limited and how usage is documented.
At the same time, authorised users should still have a comfortable experience. They need to be able to read, navigate and search content without protective measures making the workflow unnecessarily difficult.
The process becomes more demanding when open and protected content need to be managed or presented together. In that case, the system must automatically apply the right access context based on the content’s classification.
Controlled access with mybib eL
Imageware supports electronic reading room scenarios with a platform that combines presentation, delivery and access control. Depending on the legal, organisational or subject-specific context, content can be made openly accessible, restricted or available only at defined workstations.
mybib eL is the central solution for the electronic reading room. The platform supports flexible access scenarios, manages reading, printing and download rights, and enables the secure provision of protected digital content.
Content can be used through a web app or desktop app. Depending on the configuration, access, search, navigation and display can be adapted to the use case and the institution’s visual identity.
mybib eDoc can manage the upstream workflows. Digital objects can be classified, assigned rights and then handed over to mybib eL as part of the process.
BCS-2 supports the digitisation and preparation of content. Materials are scanned, processed, structured and exported in suitable formats for later delivery.
A typical workflow
Select content and clarify the access context
Holdings, titles or documents are selected. The workflow clarifies whether content is open, protected, sensitive or subject to restrictions
Create or import digital objects
Materials are digitised with BCS-2, or existing digital objects are brought into the process.
Classify the content
Digital objects are classified as open, protected or restricted. This determines the appropriate reading, printing and download rights.
Add metadata and structure
Metadata, page information, OCR data or other structural information is added so the content can be searched and used.
Manage the handover to mybib eL
With mybib eDoc, jobs, processing statuses, classifications and handovers can be documented and managed.
Configure the access scenario
In mybib eL, access rights are defined: who may use the content, where it is available and which usage rights apply.
Provide controlled access
Users access the content through the appropriate interface. Access and usage rights are managed according to the institution’s requirements.
Enable digital use even for protected content
With Imageware, organisations can provide controlled access to protected or sensitive digital materials without publishing them openly. Users gain access in the right context, while rights, restrictions and institutional policies are taken into account.
This reduces handling of originals, expands options for use and creates a secure framework for digital holdings with specific access and delivery requirements.
For organisations with protected or sensitive collections
An electronic reading room is especially relevant for organisations that want to enable digital use without making content openly available.
Let’s talk about your electronic reading room.
Whether you are working with copyright-protected works, sensitive collections or defined reading-room workstations, we can help you clarify the requirements and shape an access scenario that fits your content, user groups and policies.