Their Past Your Future

Welcome to the TPYF Help pages. If you're a user who wants help with finding materials in the collection, simply use the pages for Viewing materials, Browsing and Searching. If you're a contributor, intending to deposit materials in the collection, use the pages for Register and Deposit.

Viewing materials

The collection comprises a number of unique commemorative materials on the theme of World War II - mostly put together by local communities. There are movies, photographs, audio files, and texts.

To view materials, the easiest way is to browse the titles. On the start page, click Browse collection on the blue bar. A list of all the Titles in the collection will appear. Simply click on a title to go to its catalogue entry page, where you can learn more about it. If you wish, scroll down to read the catalogue entry, which has more descriptive information. You're now one click away from viewing the resource itself.

• If it's a moving image or an audio file, a small TV box will appear on your screen. Click the 'play' symbol in the middle of the TV to watch the movie.
• If it's a collection of photographs, you'll see a +Images box at the top of the screen. Click this to display all the thumbnail images. Hover your mouse over a thumbnail, and you get a preview of that image. Click the image itself to start a slide show.
• If it's a text file or a digital book, you'll see a +Downloadable Files box at the top of the screen. Click this to get a collection of Word Doc icons, and open one of these to read the book.

Browsing materials

This is a good way to access materials if you can't find what you want by the title alone.

On the start page, click Browse collection on the blue bar. A list of all the Titles in the collection will appear. You also get a second blue bar appearing underneath. This way you can browse the collection in the following ways:

• By abstract - a summary description of the content of the resource, e.g. 'Interviews with civilians'.
• By characterization - e.g. 'Event' or 'Educational'.
• By Group Name - this is the name of the local group which produced the resource, e.g. 'Clyde Aviation Trust'.
• By Region - where the group is based.
• By digital type - e.g. 'moving image' or 'sound'.

Searching the collection

You can make a Simple Search or an Advanced Search of the collection.

Click Search on the blue bar.

Registering

The site has been designed to allow you to deposit your resource or resources online, uploading direct from your computer into the TPYF Repository. The first step to doing this is to Register with the system.

On the blue bar, click Contribute, then [Register]. You're then asked to enter your name and email address, then register a username, and password. Click the Register button.

he system will automatically email you a confirmation URL. Visit this URL to enable your password.

Login

You should now be able to log in to the system. From the start page, click 'Login' (right of screen) to get to the Login page, enter your Username and Password, then click the blue Login button. You should now be at the 'Manage deposits' screen, but before we deposit something, a few words about your user profile.

Your User profile

After you have successfully logged in, a second blue bar will have appeared under the main navigation bar, with four options: Manage deposits, Profile, Review and Admin.

Click the Profile button. A summary of your details appears on the screen. If you want to change your user profile, or add more information to it, do it here - by clicking the Modify profile button.

You can now edit your user profile. The profile is mainly a record of contact information. Some of this information will be associated with the resources you upload. Some of it is purely for internal use. General information like your name, URL, address and e-mail address are public, so it's inadvisable to enter a home address.

When you've entered or updated the relevant information, click on the "Save" button at the bottom of the form.

Deposit

Once registered and logged in, you are now ready to deposit your resource with the TPYF Repository. You will be prompted to profile your organization / local community, then describe the resource itself, then upload it. This process happens across a number of screens in a sequence.

At each screen, you always have the option to save your work and revisit it later.

There are some mandatory fields, clearly marked with a large red star. If you fail to complete a mandatory field, the system will prompt you and you won’t be able to proceed any further.

Many fields have additional detailed Help notes - click on the to read them.

Let's work through this sequence…to get to the first screen, click 'Manage deposits', then 'New item'.

Step 1 - Profile your Institution

The screen is headed 'Edit Item'. Note that the system has automatically assigned a number to your resource. Fill in the name, address, postcode, phone number and email of your Institution. From the MLA Region drop-down menu, select which region you belong to.

Then fill in your own name, and contact details (if different to those of the Institution). This information may not be related to the info you had to supply to register.

Click the Next button.

Step 2 - Describe your resource

You do this by a combination of text entries and check boxes. We're after a title, a brief description, and the date the resource was produced. It would be enormously helpful if you know who owns the Copyright for the resource (for example, the photographer who took the pictures), and you could enter their name here.

Then tick boxes for the digital type (e.g. moving image, audio), characterization (e.g. 'Memories' or 'Performance') and, most importantly, the Theme of the resource. You can use as many Themes as needed to describe your resource (just hold your Ctrl key).

The more descriptive information you enter, the better. It makes it easier for users to find your resource.

Click the Next button.

Step 3 - Upload your resource

Note that your Title is now displaying on the screen. On this screen, you will upload the resource from your own PC into the Repository.

You can upload one file at a time, or send us a zipped file. To upload a file, click the Browse button to select the file and then click the Upload button to upload it to the archive. You may upload more files to the same item.

If you have a number of files to upload then you may want to use the zip tab and upload them as a single zip file.

After the Upload action has completed, a further screen will appear, confirming the upload has been successful. Note that this screen is already populated with information about your resource.

This screen also offers you to continue the uploading process. Click the link 'Need to add additional files to this document?'

When everything is uploaded, click the Next button.

Step 4 - Agree to T&C for the deposit

The screen now displays a brief declaration form. If you proceed from this point, you are formally agreeing to make the work you are uploading available online. You are also confirming that the Copyright arrangements are in order.

Click the Deposit Item Now button.

Step 4A - Confirm details are correct

Step does not yet exist, but hopefully you will see a screen that reiterates your profiling and allow you to go back and correct any mistakes.

Click 'Confirm' button.

Done!

Review process

After you have deposited your resource it will not immediately appear in the main website. First a review process muct take place during which staff will check that the resource is suitable and (if neccessary) convert certain files to allow them to be accessed more easily by the public. If for any reason we are unable to publish your resource you will be contacted.