In contrast to image databases and multimedia archives the focus of the WEL project is not on making as many multimedia documents as possible available in print quality. The goal is rather to make a contribution towards the exploration and mediation of the contents and ideas of political iconography. The evolving digital library is intended as a place for learning and research, inviting the user to browse and further explore the offered material of the PI-Index.

Concepts of political iconography are illustrated by image collections in the PI-Index. The selection of the images for the index is not determined by quantitative goals (e.g. as many images as possible). The images are chosen in a selective process trying to capture as many different facets of the considered concept represented by an index term as possible. The index is no image collection, but a collection of references to image resources equipped with images in preview quality and further meta information about the referenced (external) resources. The quality of the preview image is determined by its intent to enable a decision about the usability of the considered resource for the task at hand.

Maintaining the character of the PI-Index, the described ideas are to be reflected by the electronic counterpart:

• The referencing character of the index is stressed;
• Focussing on the exploration and understanding of political concepts, image quality is secondary;
• Search results are image collections rather than single images, reflecting the different facets of a concept;
• The explorative and navigating access to the contents has to be supported by an adequate user interface design;