Hi,
In this issue of our Glycerine newsletter, we showcase new features (Image AI Integration) and significant upgrades to Glycerine Editor and Viewer as well as our new WordPress plugin and Omeka S module.
See below for details of a Glycerine presentation at the upcoming IIIF conference. Look forward to seeing many of you in Leiden!
All the best
Ian McCrabb
Image AI Integration
Glycerine Editor now integrates AI-assisted image analysis to augment scholarly and curatorial annotation practice. We have implemented automated region outlining using ONNX SAM2 running on WebGPU, with assisted additive and subtractive refinement. Magnetic cursor tools assist in fine outlining of complex shapes.
These outputs enter the workflow as draft annotation layers, subject to expert review, correction, and enrichment. The result is a radical reduction in manual effort at scale without compromising interpretive control, metadata integrity, or alignment with institutional standards and IIIF-based publication.
Opening Australia’s Multilingual Archive (OMAA) project with the University of Sydney mobilises historical materials from national and international collections in languages other than English to reinterpret migrant and settler histories, examining how language shapes identity and belonging, and developing a framework for understanding cultural pluralism in Australia. The site consists of collections of text-based articles, newspapers, images and interviews. Glycerine Server, Editor and Viewer are deployed to support scholarly and community annotation of primary source texts.
Glycerine Modules
Workbench
Glycerine Workbench has just been upgraded with a range of improvements include annotation ordering controls within Annotation Sets and publication URL parameters for direct linking to specific annotations and image canvases.
Glycerine Workbench provides annotation tools, configurable templates, and end-to-end workflows for researchers, curators, and students to collaborate on projects across repositories. Images can be organised into collections and shared with collaborators. Sets of annotations can combine semantic tags from domain-specific vocabularies with critical analysis in multiple languages. Fully IIIF-compliant, annotated images can be published as research outputs and archived in sustainable formats.
Viewer
Glycerine Viewer has just had a significant upgrade. Version 2 includes support for Annotorious 3 and a range of enhancements to support configurable Annotation Templates and Gallery presentations.
Designed for research, gallery, and museum use cases, Glycerine Viewer has been released as an open-source IIIF viewer. It supports the IIIF Presentation API and displays manifests and compliant annotations built with other tools. Developed with a contemporary UI framework, Glycerine Viewer has an elegant interface and provides a sophisticated annotation feature set. Glycerine Viewer can be a component in a Vue 3 application or embedded in any JavaScipt framework. Go to Glycerine Viewer on GitHub for source code and integration documentation.
Server
Glycerine Server provides the back-end data model and APIs for integrating Glycerine with institutional digital asset and collections management systems. It delivers IIIF support, collection management, and collaboration features. The platform also includes Glycerine Image Server, a scalable IIIF image service built on Cantaloupe for controlled resource access and delivery.
Editor
Glycerine Editor has undergone a significant upgrade to Annotorious 3 and integration of automated region outlining and AI assisted refinement.
Glycerine Editor brings the annotation editing capabilities of Glycerine Workbench into the intuitive Glycerine Viewer interface. Curators can create and edit annotations directly on IIIF images within existing collection workflows. GLAM institutions can integrate the Editor into their content management systems, enabling researchers and contributors to add annotation layers to images.
WordPress Plugin
Embed annotated IIIF images directly in WordPress to create research outputs and collection exhibitions. The Glycerine Plugin supports searchable galleries, presentation carousels, and individual annotation segments. Flexible configuration allows publication of virtual collections with image segments, metadata, and commentary. The open-source plugin is available from the WordPress plugin store.
Omeka S Module
Embed annotated IIIF images directly in WordPress to create research outputs and collection exhibitions. The Glycerine Plugin supports searchable galleries, presentation carousels, and individual annotation segments. Flexible configuration allows publication of virtual collections with image segments, metadata, and commentary. The open-source plugin is available from the WordPress plugin store.
3rd June – Annotation Sets and Templates: Glycerine
