Print Article
cedarvalleysentinel.com is proud to announce the official release of its iDocLib. iDocLib is a document library that has the main goal of giving Eagle Mountain residents, and others, the ability to quickly identify information based on several distinct categories. The document library contains the documents found on the Eagle Mountain website, as well as documents that have been received by cedarvalleysentinel.com via GRAMA requests that have been made to the Eagle Mountain recorders office. Why would cedarvalleysentinel.com create a document library that contains documents that are already available on the Eagle Mountain City Website? Let me explain what we have done with those documents, and the process to answer that question.
First we source the documents. This process is either using technology to “slurp” them from www.eaglemountaincity.org, or by other sources, including but not limited to GRAMA requests.
Second, we run a process on the documents that reads the documents and generates a set of metadata for each file. This data is then added to a file that is then uploaded to the cedarvalleysentinel.com website. The data is discovered using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), image recognition software and several custom programmed scripts. Because the documents are not in a standard format, font, or layout, the OCR process is still being improved. As the process is improved, the metadata associated with each file will be updated and imported into the site.
Third, using the meta data, the files are then assigned to several categories (year, document type and agency). Assigning them to the categories makes it easier to find the documents on the site. We are also in the process of using this technology to identify which city council members, and possibly staff were at each meeting, so you have that data available and searchable as well.
The site also has the ability to discuss each of the documents. The site allows you to add your comments to the document discussion, giving residents the ability to discuss the documents directly.
The project is still in its infancy. We are working on improving the technology behind the scenes that will allow for better document processing, categorization, and search ability. If you find any errors in the metadata the process has created, please let us know so that we can improve the process. You can use the contact us form to report mistakes and make suggestions. Please include the document ID or URL to the document when reporting issues. Because of the different type of documents and the varying formats of the documents this process will take some time to refine and improve. 
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.