University Library of Bern UB

Open Science

IIIF-Service for images

With the IIIF server infrastructure, high-resolution images can be integrated into websites regardless of location and displayed without long loading times.

What is IIIF?

What is IIIF

IIIF stands for International Image Interoperability Framework. IIIF makes it possible to provide and use digital images and metadata on a server. With the help of standardized APIs, images, and metadata (e.g. copyright information) can be combined and used regardless of where they are stored on the web.    

Combine images from different sources  

IIIF-compliant image material from various sources can be brought together virtually and presented in a new way. This offers the advantage for research projects that digitized images from different archives and libraries can be used and combined for analysis or presentation purposes with little effort. This counter-model to isolated solutions for digital image material is already very common in libraries, museums, and archives, e.g. for digitized book and text collections.

How IIIF works

APIs

The core of IIIF is formed by the two main interfaces: the Image API and the Presentation API:  

  • The Image API defines a standard method for displaying the pixels of an image under a URI. In addition to information about the server on which the image is located, the URI also contains information about the size, section displayed, quality and format of the image. As this information can be changed directly via the URI, there is a great deal of flexibility when displaying the image. For example, only a specific section of the image can be displayed. 

  • The Presentation API helps to transport descriptive, structural, legal, and technical metadata. All this information about the image is summarized in a JSON file, the so-called "manifest". 

Both the individual image and the manifest can be accessed in the long term via the same address.

Image server

To operate in accordance with IIIF standards, an image server that supports the image API and a presentation API for the output of manifests is required. In addition to open source servers, which can be hosted by anyone (as long as a project is funded), members of the University of Bern can also use the IIIF service from the University Library.

Viewer und zoom functionality

Various IIIF-compatible viewers are available for web development, with which individual images or entire image sequences can be viewed, typically with good zoom functionality and a high level of detail.

IIIF service of the University Library

Offer of the University Library

Bern University Library offers a IIIF service to members of the University of Bern. This includes: 

  • The server infrastructure 

  • Publicly accessible IIIF-compliant APIs (Image API and Presentation API)  

  • The import service for image data 

  • A user-friendly web-based administration application for managing projects and imports.  

  • Specialized advice on the realization of IIIF projects

Websites

Please note that the scope of the IIIF service of the Bern University Library includes the standard-compliant provision of the image data, but not the creation and maintenance of a presentation website or platform (including viewer) on which the IIIF images can be found and displayed. This responsibility lies with the individual projects that wish to use our IIIF service.

Questions?

The answers to the most important questions are summarized in our FAQs.

In the detailed user manual for administrators you will find the information you need to use the IIIF server smoothly. 

If you would like advice or have any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us: openscience@unibe.ch   

FAQs

I’m interested in the IIIF service, but I’m not sure, if it’s the right thing for my project.

The easiest way to clarify this is to talk to us. Please send an email to openscience@unibe.ch.

I want to use the IIIF service, how do I proceed?

  1. Contact us via openscience@unibe.ch  
  2. We offer you a consultation 
  3. We set up test accesses for you if necessary (authorizations for data transfer/NAS delivery and administration website)  
  4. We draw up a written agreement for you to sign  
  5. Productive use according to the agreement 

Upload workflow

The upload is carried out by the project members themselves, as described in the manual.

Which file format should be uploaded?

Supported image formats for import: TIFF and JPG.

For other formats please contact openscience@unibe.ch. 

 

Are original files made available with the UB’s IIIF service?

No. Reformatted JPEG files are stored on the server and delivered via the Image API. These are copies of the scans/photos in high quality, which also enable fast loading times on the web.

How are the images reformatted during upload?

The following default settings are available for uploads:  

  • Maximum edge length: is adopted as in the original image. 

  • Maximum image compression quality: 92%. This optimizes the loading time of the images in the viewer and reduces the storage space required. Users will not notice any visual difference to 100%.  

  • Saving on the IIIF server as JPEG  

Both the maximum edge length and the maximum image compression quality can be customized for specific projects (if desired). 

What does the IIIF service cost?

The costs of the service depend on the scope and complexity of the project and can be requested from the research funding organizations (e.g. for SNSF projects under the category "Use of infrastructure"). For more detailed information, please contact: openscience@unibe.ch.

Why does the Bern University Library offer this service?

This service emerged from the needs of the research and edition platform hallerNet. Due to a lack of suitable alternatives, hallerNet initially worked with a self-operated IIIF server, but did not have the necessary resources beyond the limited project horizon. 

For this reason, and in view of the additional demand expected for other research projects at the University of Bern, especially edition projects, the University Library developed a IIIF server as a pilot project in collaboration with hallerNet and the Digital Humanities at the University of Bern. In 2022, the decision was made to expand its results as a service.