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CONTENTdm®

Build, showcase, and preserve your digital collections



Showcase your special collections

CONTENTdm's end-user experience is freshly designed for phones, tablets and workstations. It allows you to easily build and showcase your digital collections on your personalized website, making them more discoverable to people around the world. CONTENTdm also secures and monitors your digital originals in a cloud-based preservation archive so they remain safe for the future. Be confident that all types of users can access your site because of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance efforts.

CONTENTdm collection on tablet

Computer monitor with branded user interface

Customize your digital collections website

With CONTENTdm integrated tools, you can quickly create a branded look and feel for your library's digital collections website. CONTENTdm makes it easy to customize your site, whether or not you have programming skills. You can embed streaming video, include map-based browse functionality, and incorporate three levels of customization. These include adding a branded look and feel for your library's digital collections website, using programming skills to easily add in additional context, or embedding videos and maps, and using CONTENTdm's extensive APIs to embed your digital collections in your large library web presence.


Maximize the visibility of your unique resources via WorldCat

The WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway is a free, self-service tool that's integrated with CONTENTdm. Upload your collection metadata to WorldCat—the premier database of library materials. From there, students and scholars can find their way to your local digital collections from WorldCat.org, WorldCat Discovery and many OCLC partner services.

"CONTENTdm really is giving us the chance to give access where there was no access before…We've always had exhibits [in the library], but the static exhibits don't pull people into smaller organizations like ours."

Susan Sutton
Director of Digitization, Indiana Historical Society

Discover how the Indiana Historical Society makes history relevant in a visual culture


College students studying with smartphone

Share your digital collections in all formats

CONTENTdm can handle document, image, video, and audio files of any kind, and it offers audio and video players for smooth play on mobile devices. With CONTENTdm, you have full control over your digital resources and their descriptions, access, and display. You can fully customize metadata fields and maximize end-user discovery of your materials. CONTENTdm's integration with IIIF APIs allows you to share images across collections and connect your collections with many tools and viewers.


Ensure secure, managed storage and monitoring for your digital originals

CONTENTdm includes a preservation archive so you can be sure your library's digital originals are securely stored in a purpose-built environment. Our systems regularly inspect your files to ensure that what you sent us is what you'll get back in the future. On the day your content arrives, our systems perform quality checks and record the results in a "health record" for each file. Our automated systems revisit these quality checks periodically so you receive up-to-date reports on the health of your collection.

See CONTENTdm in action »

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Member stories

"The fact that we were able to work with CONTENTdm in a way that allowed us to cache and support these touchscreens says a lot about CONTENTdm and OCLC's technical support staff. It was a great partnership."

David Sullivan
Chief Information Officer, City of Norfolk

photo: Salone monumentale at the Biblioteca Casanatense

Maximize sharing, searchability, and access to library collections

Discover how Casanatense Library committed to providing worldwide visibility of its growing digital collection.

photo: Rare Books and Special Collections at the American University in Cairo, interior hallway

Gain international recognition for your special collections

Discover how the American University in Cairo won a UNESCO award for its work preserving and sharing Egypt’s documentary heritage.

CONTENTdm allows you to easily build, preserve, and showcase your digital collections on your personalized website, making them more discoverable to people around the world. CONTENTdm also secures and monitors your digital originals in a cloud-based preservation archive so they remain safe for the future.

Service availability

  • Available everywhere (features differ by locale)

Learn more

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Download the CONTENTdm feature flier

Download the CONTENTdm digital preservation flyer
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Download the feature flyer (A4)