---
id: library_basics
title: Evie's Library Basics
description: Understanding catalogs, documents, and document versions in Evie's Library
sidebar_label: Library Basics
sidebar_position: 1
---

# Evie's Library Basics: Catalogs, Documents & DocumentVersions

## Overview
Evie's Library is an intelligent information storage and retrieval system. It organizes your business information semantically, making it easily accessible and searchable. The library can handle various types of content including HTML pages, PDF documents, and other document formats, storing them in a way that preserves their meaning and context.

## Library Structure
The library is organized into sections called Catalogs, which help group related information together. Each catalog contains Documents, which can have multiple versions to track changes over time.

```mermaid
classDiagram
    class Catalog {
        +name
        +description
        +type (Standard/Dossier)
        +min_chunk_size
        +max_chunk_size
        +user_metadata
    }
    class Document {
        +name
        +valid_from
        +valid_to
    }
    class DocumentVersion {
        +url
        +file_type
        +language
        +user_context
        +processing_status
    }
    
    Catalog "1" -- "*" Document : contains
    Document "1" -- "*" DocumentVersion : has versions
    note for Catalog "Configurable based on type, e.g. Dossier has tagging fields"
    note for DocumentVersion "Processed asynchronously & Generates semantic chunks"
```

### Catalogs
A catalog is a container for related documents. You can create different catalogs to organize your information in ways that make sense for your business. Each catalog has the following key features:

- **Name and Description**: Helps identify the catalog's purpose
- **Type**: Determines how information is organized within the catalog
- **Chunk Size Settings**: Controls how documents are processed for optimal retrieval
- **Custom Metadata**: Allows adding business-specific information

Catalog Types

Standard Catalog

Basic catalog type for general document storage
All stored information is treated as a unified collection
Suitable for most general knowledge bases


Dossier Catalog

Advanced catalog type with tagging capabilities
Allows organizing documents with custom tags
Requires configuration of tagging fields during catalog creation
Example tagging field configuration:



```
{
  "tagging_fields": {
    "company": {
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Company name"
    },
    "year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "required": false,
      "max_value": 2100,
      "min_value": 1900,
      "description": "Document year"
    },
    "document_type": {
      "type": "enum",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Type of document",
      "allowed_values": [
        "quarterly_report",
        "annual_report",
        "presentation",
        "press_release"
      ]
    },
    "confidentiality": {
      "type": "enum",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Document confidentiality level",
      "allowed_values": [
        "public",
        "internal",
        "confidential"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

This configuration defines:

- A required company name field as text
- An optional year field (between 1900 and 2100)
- An optional document type selection from predefined options
- An optional confidentiality level selection

### Documents and Versioning
Documents in Evie's Library are managed with version control to ensure information stays current:

- **Basic Document Properties**:
  - Name
  - Validity period (optional)
  - Associated metadata

- **Document Versions**:
  - Track changes in document content
  - Store the actual content and its processing state
  - Support multiple file formats
  - Can be automatically updated for URL-based sources
  - Include language information

### Multilingual Support
Evie's Library has built-in multilingual capabilities:
- Documents in different languages can coexist in the same catalog
- Information can be retrieved regardless of the language it was stored in
- Questions can be asked in any supported language
- No need to store multiple translations of the same document

### Document Processing
When documents are added to the library:

1. They are automatically processed to understand their content
2. Processing happens in the background without interrupting your work
3. Documents are split into semantic chunks for optimal understanding
4. The latest version becomes available once processing is complete

### Using the Library
To make the most of Evie's Library:

1. **Organize Your Information**:
   - Create catalogs based on your business needs
   - Choose between Standard and Dossier catalogs based on whether you need tagging
   - Add relevant metadata to help organize information

2. **Add Documents**:
   - Provide URLs for documents whenever possible (recommended method)
     - URLs allow automatic document refreshing
     - Ensures your library stays up-to-date with source changes
     - Maintains version history automatically
   - File uploads are supported as an alternative
     - Use when URL access isn't available
     - Note: Updates will require manual re-upload

3. **Maintain Your Library**:
   - URL-based documents can be automatically refreshed to stay current
   - Monitor processing status for new additions
   - Manage document validity periods if needed
   - For uploaded files, consider periodically checking if updates are needed

## Best Practices
- Group related documents in the same catalog
- Use meaningful names and descriptions for catalogs and documents
- Add relevant metadata to make information more discoverable
- For Dossier catalogs, establish consistent tagging conventions
- Prefer URL-based documents over file uploads to enable automatic updates