Tab-Delimited Spreadsheets
Made Easy
Kathleen McElhinney,
Metadata/Cataloging Librarian
University Libraries
Agenda
• Basics of Tab-Delimited Spreadsheets
(TDS)
• Differences in TDS for simple and
complex objects
• Adding structure for monograph
compound objects
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When Use TDS?
• No project client
• Images not available
• Already have inventory list
• Diacritics or other special characters
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SIMPLE OBJECTS
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Simple Objects
• Column = field + file_name.ext column
• Row 1 = Field names
• Row 2-end = simple object metadata
Many simple objects in one TDS
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Simple Object Example
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Pre-Import Cleanup
1. Copy data into new spreadsheet
(CTRL-SHIFT-END helpful)
2. Use ‘Save-as’ command to save with
the new file type ‘text’ or ‘Unicode’
3. Use Notepad++ to change encoding
schema to ‘UTF8 without BOM’
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Import
Start the ‘Add Multiple Items’
wizard in the Project Client
–
–
–
–
–
–
Click the radio button for TDS
Enter File path for the TDS
Fill out rest of options
Start import
Adjust the map as necessary
Import
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Diacritics
• Enter diacritics and other special
characters using Unicode
• Convert spreadsheet to UTF-8 data
format before uploading
• These charcters are signs that your
input file was not UTF-8: ◊ ■ � ﾟ
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DOs
• DO: read the help files in the USC
about tab-delimited spreadsheets
• DO: use UTF-8 to enter diacritics and
special characters
• DO: use W3C date format when a
field’s data type is ‘date’
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DOs
• DO: make sure your map matches the
columns to fields correctly
• DO: Rearrange columns to mimic
data structure order (eliminates time
spent changing the field map)
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DON’Ts
• DON’T: use apostrophes in data
• DON’T: put spreadsheet in same
folder as images
• DON’T: use smart quotes
• DON’T: use wordwrap in a file that is
about to be imported
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Question Break
Questions?
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COMPOUND OBJECTS -DOCUMENTS
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Compound Objects –
Documents
• Columns = fields + file name.ext
column
• Row 1 = Field names
• Row 2 = Object-level metadata
• Row 3-end = Page-level metadata
Only 1 object per spreadsheet
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Document Compound
Object
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Compound Objects –
Documents
Does the metadata apply to just one
page or the entire object?
One Page  Page-Level
Entire Object  Object-Level
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Object- or Page-Level?
Object- or Page- Level Metadata?
50 p. book on how to play the violin
Publisher?
Digital Specifications?
Date?
Transcript?
File Name?
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Import
• Recommend the same pre-input
routine as for simple objects
• Click ‘Add Compound Object’ to start
wizard
• Rest of wizard is the same as for simple
objects
• Get the metadata map AFTER wizard
finished
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Gotcha
Limitation: Cannot combine object-level
and page-level metadata in the same
search
Workaround: Use fill-down to copy the
object-level metadata to the page level
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Gotcha
Limitation: Only one compound object
per file
Workaround: Replicate the spreadsheet
for each compound object
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Question Break
Questions?
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COMPOUND OBJECTS
MONOGRAPHS
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Compound Objects –
Monographs
• Column = fields + file name column +
structure columns:
– CDM_LVL = code for structure level
– CDM_LVL_NAME = navigation label
• Row 1 = Field names
• Row 2 = Object-level metadata
• Row 3-end = Page-level metadata
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Monograph Compound
Object
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Suggested Workflow
• Hide the structure columns during
metadata input
• Enter the object and page level
metadata first
• Sketch an outline of your structure
• Assign a level number by the page’s
indentation level
• Decide what the navigation label
should say for each item
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Structure sketch
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Structure
How much structure do I want to
represent in CONTENTdm?
• There is such a thing as too
much structure
• Usually 3 levels or less unless
VERY large document
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Structure with levels
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Adding Codes
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Adding Codes
• Start with ‘leaf’ pages – ‘Page 12’, etc.
• Work right to left
• Question ask: What vertical level line
applies to this row?
• Record the code for that vertical level
line in CDM_LVL
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Level Names
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Level Names
Golden Rule: Everything with the same
CDM_LVL_NAME value goes under the
same node
• OK to have different text from title
• Add the level names to your sketch
• Working right to left, find the right row
in your sketch and use that name in
the TDS
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Adding Levels
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Gotchas
Limitation: CONTENTdm can create
only 1 node above a page
Impact: In the case where a new
Chapter and Section begin on the
same page of compound object,
only 1 node will be created
Workaround: Add a node manually
for the section in the project client
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Adding manually
In Project Client
Open the compound object
Above navigation, click Add Item icon
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Question Break
Questions?
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Contact Information
Kathleen McElhinney
kathleen.mcelhinney@usd.edu
605/677-6083
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