Arvest: an open source tool for multimodal document network analysis

Extensive digitization campaigns by cultural institutions have highlighted issues with data storage, modeling, and accessibility, hindering multimodal research approaches. Arvest is a tool designed to address these issues, built on the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF), which facilitates the sharing and annotation of digital images.

IIIF, supported by an international consortium, has become a standard for many institutions. However, current IIIF viewers do not support audiovisual documents. Arvest adds this functionality, integrating audio and video playback into the Mirador viewer. Arvest allows for the annotation and creation of networks of multimodal documents, enabling seamless exploration and collaboration.

As an open-source web app, Arvest is accessible to everyone, simplifying the use of IIIF content. Developed through case studies and workshops, Arvest will be available in beta form in December 2024. It features an open API to support complex workflows and ensure interoperability and openness of results.