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ACS 6820 (Dr. Radhika Gajjala): Omeka

Purpose of LibGuide

This is a guide to resources available to learn about Omeka.  

Collection or Exhibit?

What's the difference?

Collection

  • where items are described in purely (mostly) objective terms

Exhibit

  • groups of items from collections that are described with some context given to them or a narrative can be built around them

More Omeka Info

For more detailed information about using Omeka, see the link below for their documentation.

Things to Remember

Dashboard

  • default working screen

To add an item

  • Click on Item on the left, then find the Add Item button 
  • Fill out the pertinent metadata fields (see the Metadata tab for the core element set)
    Note: not all of these fields needs to be populated
  • Once metadata is completed, click Save Item on the right - do not click beside Public or Featured on the top right
    • There will be a collection set up already for you, so choose that one for the Collection of which these items will be a part

Exhibits

  • Click on Exhibits and choose Add An Exhibit to create an exhibit and you will be taken to the main exhibit page to fill in yet more metadata about the exhibit itself
  • To add a page to an exhibit, go below the exhibit's metadata and you'll see Add Page, then click on it
  • You'll see several layout options for the pages of the exhibit - many different ways to discuss the items entered into the exhibit

Omeka Plugins

Omeka gives users the opportunity to install and use various types of plugins that extend the functionality of Omeka.  For example, there are timeline plugins, PDF plugins, plugins that allow the use of shortcodes (similar to Wordpress), etc.

Contact Information

For questions about Omeka, contact:

Stefanie Hunker at sdennis@bgsu.edu, 419-372-7893

Using Omeka

We've got a handout on how to create or edit Omeka's collections and exhibits.  Try it!

Item types - what are they?

Useful Information about Copyright

  • Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries
    • "This is a code of best practices in fair use devised specifically by and for the academic and research library community. It enhances the ability of librarians to rely on fair use by documenting the considered views of the library community about best practices in fair use, drawn from the actual practices and experience of the library community itself. "
  • Copyright Tools
    • Determine what is Fair Use, what materials are in the public domain, and what does Section 508 cover with these fun and useful tools