User’s Guide to the Ktiv Website

Table of Contents

Navigating the Website

On the top left is a drop-down menu [Hamburger button].

Clicking on the icon opens a menu for navigating between the different parts of the website.

 

Basic Search

The Basic Search window appears on all pages of the site and is available to the user at any time.
The window features four components:

1. ​Define the search for all catalog records (complete database), only records of manuscripts for which there is a digital listing (digital only), or records of manuscripts for which there is a digital listing which can be viewed outside NLI's premises (Available outside NLI).



2. A search tab in which you can type in free text.
3. A search key that activates the search. You can also activate the search by pressing the Enter key.
4. A link to open the Advanced Search window.

Advanced Search

The Advanced Search feature allows users to refine their query and control various search criteria.

 

Exact Search: You can search according to specific information you may have, such as a call number or system number.
Refine Search: Some advanced search fields help you refine your results (i.e. by city, library/collection or sub-collection).


 

Search by Manuscript Location

It is possible to search for a manuscript by current or previous location.
Location is divided into four fields: city, library/collection, sub-collection and call number. The call number field is a free text field where you can type in the specific call number [number only or sub-collection and number].

It is also possible to search for a manuscript by its National Library of Israel Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts film number (or Photostat number, etc.).

Additional examples for a refined search:
• By exact year or year range
• By title
• By author or other contributor (such as scribe, illuminator, owner, etc.)
• By place, where manuscript was produced
• By language or script style
• By subject
• You can set the search for either all catalog records or illuminated manuscripts only
• The Advanced Search includes a free text field that allows to search for any word or combination of words that do not match the above search fields

Combined Search: enables a search by combining different parameters. For example: searching for a manuscript in Italian with Ashkenazi writing style and Rashi writing style on the subjects of Halakha and the sciences.

 

Search Results

This page presents the results of the search.
The search results display descriptive information about the manuscript (date, location, film no., and subject). If the manuscript is digitized, an icon will appear next to this information; for manuscripts that are not digitized, an icon indicating this will appear.

Clicking on the link "detailed information" opens a page with detailed information about the manuscript.

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To view the digital manuscript, click on the link that opens the viewer, or on the icon of the manuscript or the title :

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Sort options: Search results can be sorted by a number of fixed parameters, such as date, author, title, etc. To do so, click on the drop-down menu and select the preferred sort option:

Display options: Search results can be displayed as a list (default) or as a table. To alternate between display modes, click on the appropriate icon:

Filtering options: To the right of the search results are options for filtering results by various criteria.
The first option allows you to choose whether to display all results (default) or only the digitized items:

Below this option are other additional filtering options: by collection, place where the manuscript was copied, script style, and author / scribe. It is possible to filter by more than one parameter.
Filter options selected will appear marked by a checkbox icon such as this: V​


You can cancel a filter selection at any time by clicking the ü .

Save a search: All searches may be saved. To do this, click on the hyperlink icon and copy the link:
 

Back to Simple Search: At any time you may return to the Simple Search box just by clicking on the magnifying glass icon::

Manuscript Record Page

To reach the manuscript’s detailed information record page, click on the "detailed information" link:

Manuscript, bibliography, and details about copyright permissions for images of the manuscript. To view the information in each category, click on the “+” icon:

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You can add or comment on the catalog information or bibliography.

As with search results, you can save the link to the detailed information page by clicking on the hyperlink icon:

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Clicking on the picture of the manuscript opens up the viewer, which displays the complete digitized manuscript:

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Display for manuscripts comprised of several works or which are divided into several volumes:

Manuscripts comprised of collections of works are cataloged in several different entries – one for each separate work and one for the complete manuscript. The icons displayed on the detailed information page includes a large picture of the work whose entry is displayed on the page and another row of smaller icons representing the other works in the same collection or additional volumes of the same manuscript. 

Clicking on the large picture will open the viewer. Clicking on the small icons will open the detailed information page for the corresponding work/volume.

The Viewer

The viewer displays the complete digitized manuscript. To browse through the manuscript, click on the arrows​.

Clicking on the “+” icon will display the previous page and the next page on view.

A further click on the “^” icon, will display the complete manuscript as thumbnails:

The “display tools” pane enables increasing or decreasing the size of the image, display as full screen, darken or lighten the image, rotate the image clockwise or counter clockwise, display the item as thumbnails:

The “more actions” pane offers options such as downloading images from the manuscript [currently inactive, will be added to the next version of the website], sharing the current image, printing images of the manuscripts [currently inactive, will be added to the next version of the website], integrating the viewer in another website, and opening a pane with general information about the manuscript.

At the bottom of the viewer screen you can find information about the item and copyr​ight permission information for images. To view this information either click on the tab or scroll down to the bottom of the screen:

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