The Library's newly implemented web-based newspaper interface enables readers to browse the historical archive and view digital images of the original issues. As readers move the cursor across the page, articles are highlighted in yellow. Clicking on a highlighted article displays readable text in a new window, including segments continued on later pages. Page layout information instructs the software how to determine article boundaries even when an article spans multiple pages.
An alternative viewing technique allows readers to zoom in on the full page to view details and a small thumbnail image indicates their position on the page. Because all words on the page have been converted into searchable text through optical character recognition technology, readers can search for words, names, or phrases throughout the archive to locate topics of interest. Page layout information, including word coordinates, enables the software to highlight the words searched in the page so that articles of interest are immediately apparent.
Pages and articles can be printed and entire issues or selected pages can be downloaded in full-text searchable PDF format. Selections of text can be copied and pasted for inclusion in research papers or converted into electronic slides for teaching and presentations.
The My Favorites feature in the CONTENTdm public interface enables the creation of topical views of the YDN Collection with links that retrieve pre-selected articles on a particular subject. For an example, see Coeducation in the Yale Daily News 1967-1970.