PDL FAQ
General Information
PDLib is a space online where you can store your documents and later retrieve them through your desktop computer or handheld device.
PDlib
1.2 What does "PDLib" stand for?
PDLib stands for Personal Digital Library. It is personal in the sense that everyone who joins will have his/her own personal space to gather documents. We use the term Library because we focus on Digital Libraries functionality and interoperability issues.
1.3 To whom is PDLib oriented to?
PDLib is the ideal tool for people that need to organize their files easily and have them available wherever they go: home, in the office, or even on the street. Right now PDLib is used mainly by students and teachers, but you can expect to find a wide variety of member profiles.
Send a mail to pdlib.mty@itesm.mx or directly trough the signup page
1.5 Are there any ads in PDLib?
No way. PDLib is an educational open source project, so earning money out of it would go against our principles. PDLib is and will continue to be free of charge.
1.6 Can I install PDLib in my own servers?
Yes. As an open source project, PDLib is free to download and install. For more detailed information, please visit the install guide.
PDLib is a project from the Tecnológico de Monterrey University, in
1.8 Exist any other projects similar to PDLib?
They are several projects similar to PDLIB such like: DSpace, Phronesis, Alfresco, Greenstone Digital Library, Koha, The Stanford Digital Library Project, among others.
1.9 What are privacy policies on PDLib?
PDLib will never publish, exchange or sell you personal information or documents you submit to our servers.
2.1 How do I upload my documents?
When you first want to add content to your library you have several options. You may either upload them manually through the WebClient or several documents at a time through the BeUpBin. For more detailed information, please visit the user guide.
2.2 Where can I retrieve my documents from?
You can always go online and download your documents from the WebClient, or take them on the go through the PocketClient. For more detailed information, please visit the user guide.
2.3 How much storage do I get?
We are currently not limiting the amount of space you have, although the uploads do have a maximum size of 40 MB.
In PDLib‘s context, a collection is like a folder or an album where you can store and organize your files.
2.5 What is the meaning of the different colors of collections (web client)?
2.6 What is a document‘s metadata?
In PDLib‘s context, the word "metadata" refers to the basic information of your documents, such as title, author, summary or tags.
2.7 What document formats are supported?
PDLib‘s search engine currently supports most files with indexable text. Other file formats can be uploaded but they‘re content will not be recognized by the search engine (though you can still find them through their metadata). The advantage of uploading .doc or .rtf formats is that they can be seen in multiple formats, like .txt or .pdf. For more detailed information, please visit the user guide.
2.8 What is the difference between public and private collections?
Public collections can be seen by everybody who browses or searches for PDLib content using any of the clients. Private collections, on the other hand, are visible only to you and do not appear in public searches.
3.1 What kind of content can I expect to find?
Since PDLib is a space for everyone to upload documents, there can be a wide variety of content on its pages. The main purpose is to archive blogs and magazines, but you can use it to safeguard all your documents. Remember that we cannot vouch for the content of the user‘s libraries, therefore, we are not responsible for what is found.
3.2 Where can I browse or search for content?
You can browse through available libraries from the main page or through OAI and DSpace libraries through the Interoperability section once you login. Content can be searched for anywhere from the Quick Search textfield. For more detailed information, please visit the user guide.
3.3 What kind of searches can I perform?
You can search only your library or the whole set of libraries (Basic Search). You can refine your answers by specifying more fields through Advanced Search. Also, there is distributed search among specified (by you) libraries or through interoperability spaces. For more detailed information, please visit the user guide.
3.4 What do you mean by "interoperability"?
In PDLib terms, interoperability refers to when PDLib’s system interacts with other systems in a seamless and transparent way for the user, such as when you browse through OAI or DSpace standardized libraries. It also refers to when you add files to your library through RSS or Atom feeds.
OAI (Open Archive Initiative) is a web standard for metadata information to facilitate the use of digital libraries. DSpace is a similar standard.
3.6 Do you use RSS or Atom feeds?
Yes. All libraries‘ contents are syndicated through XML so you can stay up-to-date with different collections‘ content. You can also add a special collection with dynamic content depending on the feed you select.
PDLib has incorporated into its latest versions of the WebClient the hability to search the Internet directly from PDLib, without ever leaving your digital repository. You can perform searches upon engines such as Google or Yahoo, and then add the documents you find to your library seamlessly.
For more detailed information, please visit the install guide.
4.2 What platforms does PDLib support?
PDLib can work with Windows and Unix-based systems, such as Linux or Solaris. For more detailed information, please visit the install guide.
4.3 What are the requirements for hosting a PDLib structure?
You can see a list of the requirements needed to host your own PDLib server in the install guide.
4.4 How are updates distributed?
Every time an update is released we will notify registered users so you can download the new version of PDLib.
Architecture A general overview of the PDLib system. The system is composed of three layers:
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System Services
The services provided by a personal digital library are:
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Project Team
Project Leaders
Current Developers
Past Developers
Contact Us
Feel free to mail us any feedback or questions about the project
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