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Omeka.net Projects

How to create an Omeka digital library and exhibit

What is Omeka?

Omeka is a content management system (CMS) that holds online collections of digital images, text, or other multimedia. 

There are three Omeka products – Omeka Classic, Omeka S, and Omeka.net:

  • Omeka Classic, for individual projects or educators, requires server space or a host for the items
  • Omeka S is for institutions managing sharable resources across multiple sites
  • We will be using the free version of Omeka.net

 

Omeka Site Structure

Omeka Site Structure

3 levels of the Omeka structure

  • Items
  • Collections
  • Exhibits

Items

Items are types of individual files: images, text, or multimedia (no larger than 128mb)

Items are described with Dublin Core metadata, which is a standardized metadata set designed for the web or digital collections

Metadata terms include "Title," "Description," "Creator," and "Date" (Metadata = keywords to describe an item)

Items can also be "tagged" with a topic or keyword

 

                                      

Collections

An Omeka collection is a grouping for uploaded items. The feature is useful to sort items related to different projects or exhibits.

Exhibits

Omeka exhibits are digital showcases of the items in a collection. You can also add text, audio, video, or other storytelling tools.

Use "Exhibit Builder" to create your exhibit from the collections items. 

 

Plan your project first!

  • Before you even begin to add items or create an exhibit, have a well thought out plan for your project. 
  • Use an outline or flow chart to highlight the main points (Canva or PowerPoint works).
  • Write your text for the project before adding to Omeka. 

Important note!!! Don't put your text in Word and copy/paste it into Omeka. It won't look good! Please write your text in a text editor like notepad or even in a plain text email. Copying and pasting from a text editor will ensure your prose remains intact.

 

 

 

Neatline

Neatline is a suite of add-on tools for Omeka (Omeka Classic and Omeka S, not the free Omeka.net version) that allows scholars, students, and curators to tell stories with maps, images, and timelines. It opens new possibilities for hand-crafted, interactive spatial and temporal interpretation.

Sample projects: