Introduction to Omeka S
What is Omeka S ?
Omeka S is an open-source digital platform for publishing and managing digital collections. Its main asset is managing an independant website network, which draws all of its resources (elements, media et metadata) from a centralized and shared database. This flexible structure and particular approach makes it an excellent content management system for institutions.
Developed in 2017 by the same research center of George Mason University behind Omeka (released in 2008), Omeka S was specifically designed to fill the need of large institutions. It distinguishes itself by its approach of Linked Data, a pillar of the Semantic Web. It means this open-source software doesn't only store informations, but also structures them, creating clear links between them and other databases on the web, often using formats like the JSON-LD to exchange these RDF metadata.
It is the application we chose to catalog our DataCup document collection.
Who is Omeka S for ?
Omeka S is primarily aimed at large cultural institutions (universities, libraries, archives et museums) that manage vast collections of cultural data and digital documents.
Unlike Omeka Classic, whose aim was small-scale institutions and independant researchers wanting to create digital expositions without advanced programming skills, Omeka S can simultaneously manage multiple collections and websites, while drawing from a shared catalog of digital resources.
Omekas S by DataCup
Omeka S allows you to navigate through a multitude of digital item collections, such as photos, videos, manuscripts, articles, books, etc., filled to the brim with detailed descriptions and metadata. It also supports the IIIF protocol, which enables an advanced visualization of resources.
To navigate a site made with Omeka S, is like entering an interactive digital library, but with added functionalities to make your exploration and searches easier. This public site is aimed towards our end-users.
Thanks to the multi-site management, the public site can be personnalized for your institution, for example, by conforming to your graphic design and by adapting digital resources to the need of your beneficiairies. Indeed, for every purchase of a DataCup, we include a full mentoring day to help you select the digital resources you wish to download. You're also able to load in your own digital resources.
If you want to discover other personnalized libraries, click here...
Preview of the initial interface of our digital library made with Omeka S :
When they arrive in this home page, users can search for and easily discover content fit for their needs
Indeed, Omeka S facilitates research inside collections with its use of metadata, which is to say all of the descriptive informations associated with each resource (like a document, photo or video). This metadata allows us to better organise and find your content.
For example, in the Data Cup document collection, a file includes multiple types of metadata, such as :
- The document's title
- The document's publishing date
- The file type
- The document's subject
- The document's target audience
- The document's author
- The document's intended educational level
- The licence
- ...Etc
With this metadata, you can do more precise researches.
How to do searches on Omeka S ?
Go on the "All resources" section on the search bar, then :
- Use the standard search bar to look for content that includes a keyword, that was written by a certain author, or that was published by a particular editor, for example.
- Use filters (side bar on the left of the interface) to refine your results by type of element, by theme, by creator, etc, which makes your searches easier.
- Look through collections to explore the resource categories which interests you, even when you don't know exactly what you're searching for.
Omeka S manages collections differently from metadata. Indeed, the software allows you to establish a hierarchy for sub-collections. These collections can help you refine your catalog and therefore facilitate your users' researches. They're also quite useful during content mediation sessions.
For a full demonstration of our document collection on Omeka S, you can contact us with our site's contact form...
Omeka S analysis: strengths and weaknesses
Omeka S's strengths :
- - Completely free and open-source software, which helps it to develop and adapt according to its needs.
- - Great flexibility, able to add functionalities thanks to additional Omeka S modules that you can install.
- - Total offline access once the files are downloaded.
- - Easy and intuitive document research for users.
- - Can function both online and offline on a DataCup
- - Is interoperable with other document management systems thanks to its API
- - Multilingual support, making the app accessible to an international public.
Omeka S's weaknesses :
- Support from project managers and/or a project coordinator is recommended, to get started as best as you can.
Omeka S on the DataCup
Omeka S function as well on the Internet as it does offline on a DataCup. While we pre-download your DataCup with your public site on Omeka S, all of the digital resources and their medias are also loaded in at the same time, so you can look through them without the need for any Internet connexion.
On top of that, our end-users don't need to install anything on their devices (smartphone, tablet, computer...). They simply connect to the DataCup via wifi and browse through the Omeka S application with their usual browseur (Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari...etc).
Depending on your project, your objectives and your target audience, we collaborate with our partners right as the project starts, and we supply constant support :
- With the help of our teams, we assist you in selecting content from the available list, to best meet your expectations and needs according to your target audience (children, teens, adults, teachers, farmers...etc).
- Our teams offer a formation to your teams to help you set up your DataCup, be it physically or software-wise, taking your field objectives in mind.
- With up to 8To of storage, you can download a multitude of files in the DataCup without worry, to have fully personalized content.
- To help with communication, tracking, adjustments or to help fix potential problems, we stay available at all times thanks to our constant support.
Conclusion
Omeka S by DataCup is an open-source application that enables you to access our document collection full of catalogued digital resources. By offering simple access with no Internet requirements, the DataCup can help you deploy your site to isolated places, or ones with limited infrastructures.
Its open-source and free nature ensures its evolution through an active communauty. Omeka S is a precious tool used for education, personal and professional development, and for research.