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The Perseus Home Page
Why document the home page?
As a digital library research project, Perseus differs substantially from many Internet pages and sites. Perseus is not a simple group of one type of content: everything in Perseus is interconnected by extensive hyperlinks and powerful tools. Perseus is organized around collections, the core data of the digital library, and tools developed by project members which make it easier to compare and use the collection data. The Perseus Project home page ( Main Site / Oxford Mirror / Berlin Mirror ) is more than a gateway into the Perseus Digital Library, it also contains several powerful tools for navigating and visualizing materials in Perseus. This document is designed to assist newcomers in taking advantage of the many features of the home page and introduce long-time Perseus users to its new format and design. Features of the home page:
- The Perseus Time Space Visualizations:
The Perseus home page includes automatically-generated maps and timelines designed to show the geographic and temporal coverage of Perseus as a whole and the collections within it. Programs have scanned through the objects in the Perseus Digital Library searching for what look like dates and places. Read the information page for more on how these tools work. - Changing the Time Space Visualization by Collection:
With certain browsers, you will be able to change the visualization tools simply by rolling your mouse pointer over the name of the various Perseus collections. The contrasts between collections are in this way immediately evident. The examples below illustrate some of the changes to the visualization tool made when rolling the mouse pointer over different collection names.
Example 1: Changing the Visualization Tool. A mouse-over of the Classics collection
Example 2: Changing the Visualization Tool. A mouse-over of the English Renaissance collection
Example 3: Changing the Visualization Tool. A mouse-over of the London collection - Contents/Collections Side Bar:
On the left side of the home page, current Perseus Digital Library contents are listed by collection. As noted above, when you mouse-over the names of the collections, the time space visualization will change on most newer browser versions. If you click on the name of a collection, you will enter Perseus through the table of contents for that collection. Read the help on the Perseus table of contents for more information on this tool.
At the bottom of this side bar, there are links to Perseus mirror sites in Berlin and Oxford, beneath a link to the main site.
- Other Features of the Home page:
The home page also contains current Perseus announcements, featured Perseus exhibits, information about Perseus and about Perseus funders and supporters.
Starting Points:
At first glance, novice users may find the home page disorienting. The key links on the home page are located on the top bar and the side bar, just as they are throughout the Perseus Digital Library. How you choose to enter the Perseus Digital Library is mainly determined by what kind of material you would like to access, so general recommendations follow.
- Topical Search:
As noted in the Perseus FAQ, we recommend starting your exploration with the Perseus lookup tool. This is the search box as shown in the illustration of the Perseus top bar above. The lookup tool help contains tips and sample searches which may be of interest. As always, check the Help Center for frequently asked questions, hints, and more information on specific tools. - Collection Search:
Many users would like to view the contents of a specific Perseus collection. The contents/collections side bar is the best place to start if you would like to limit your exploration to a particular collection. Keep in mind that tools such as the English Index (searching for English words in all indexed works) or the word tools are not collection-specific, and are listed in the Tools table of contents. - Tool and Other Searches:
Perhaps you would like to search lexica or use language-specific tools such as morphological analyses or word study tools. If so, you'll want to view the Tools table of contents. Follow the link to Tools located in the home page top bar. Other information such as the Help library is linked alongside the Tools link. - Special Exhibits:
For secondary materials compiled from Perseus and other sources, check the exhibits linked beneath the visualization tools. Designed for general audiences, these exhibits are an interesting way of exploring Perseus.
document created 24 May, 2001
content, including screen shots, up to date as of spring, 2001