What is ContentDM?
ContentDM is a digital collection management software by OCLC, used by libraries, museums, and archives to build, showcase, and preserve digital collections. This explorer connects to any public ContentDM instance.
How do I connect to a ContentDM server?
Enter the base URL of any ContentDM instance (e.g., https://cdm12345.contentdm.oclc.org) and click Connect. The explorer will validate the URL and load all available collections.
How does the lazy loading work?
To improve performance, data is loaded on-demand. Collection details and items only load when you expand them. This allows exploring archives with hundreds of collections without timeouts.
How do I export data to CSV?
Each collection has an "Export CSV" button that downloads all items with their metadata. You can also use "Export All Collections" to download a summary of all collections. Note: Large exports may take some time.
What fields are included in CSV exports?
CSV exports include all metadata fields from ContentDM items, plus the item ID (_pointer) and collection alias (_collection). System fields like dmaccess are excluded for cleaner data.
Why are some images not loading?
Some items may be PDFs, compound objects, or have restricted access. The preview uses the ContentDM image API which may not support all file types. Check the item's metadata for the actual file type.
Is there a limit on exports?
For performance reasons, collection exports are limited to 1,000 items. For larger collections, consider using the ContentDM admin interface or API directly.