Spring 2024 Edition @ UCF
This project is maintained by AMSUCF
For our first exploration of intentional scholarly platforms for making, we’ll be working with Omeka. Use the trial account and think small - this is an opportunity to understand what a metadata-driven, archive-friendly platform can enable, but you don’t need to build it to scale. Omeka is very similar to WordPress in its interface, but in addition to the documentation provided in the class demo, there are several tutorials and you might find this overview of Omeka exhibits helpful for imagining the platform’s full potential.
This week’s emphasis is on documentation and connections: you can build your exhibit from a combination of objects that you’ve made (both in class and outside of it), as well as objects that have inspired you. Keep in mind Drucker’s concept of “data trails” and combine the options in Omeka for items, pages, collections, and exhibitions to tell a story. Your Omeka site should include prototypes and experimentation that includes the following:
At least five items with metadata. Try exploring the ranges of item types, and think about how you might document, describe, and annotate each to provide an entrypoint and a lasting record of the work included. Items can be your own, or work that you want to connect to your critical making journey as an influence - the hyperlink option can be particularly good for making those connections.
At least one collection and exhibition. Play with the different options for establishing connections between items, and try working with different subsets for the collection and exhibition to express different themes and build connections. You might try using the exhibition options for a change of theme (including color palette) - the aesthetics throughout should suit your materials as much as possible given the limitations.
At least one explanatory page. Consider including a short reflection or providing context using the Simple Pages plug-in: you’ll first need to enable the plug-in, then try either plain text or HTML edits to add your content. You might include some of the same type of documentation of process and intent as we include in the discussions (it’s okay to duplicate and expand on text from this week, or draw on previous posts).
As with our other exercises, make sure to include both a link to the Omeka prototype and your process reflection with screenshots, drawing on the connections to our readings and considering the limitations and affordances of the platform.
Remember, this is an opportunity for reflection and exploration: you don’t have access to the full capacities of Omeka through the free trial, and you don’t need to make or find a lot of new material. This is an opportunity to curate, connect, and reflect on what you’ve already collected. I thus recommend using the following foundational walkthroughs to supplement our video:
This reviews everything you need for this stage. However, if you want to know more about Omeka, here’s a few additional resources and examples: