In July of 2014, I was invited to present a guest lecture for Foundations of Digital Data (IST676) at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies, taught by Angela U. Ramnarine-Rieks. This talk provides an inside look at creating a digital collection. As this was an online, asynchronous class, I recorded my presentation as a YouTube video, which you can see at http://youtu.be/vYTggDBqBgQ. It includes some discussion of the technical underpinnings of the Omeka site I've created for Vassar's collection of historic clothing, including slides that show my customizations in PHP for showing related items.

1. The
Vassar
Col lege
Costume
Col lection
and
HistoricDress.
org
INSIDE A DIGITAL
COLLECTION:
HISTORIC CLOTHING
IN OMEKA

2. BACKGROUND

3. THE
COLLECTION
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/abo
ut

4. THE
COLLECTION
ht tp: / /pages . vas s
ar .edu/hcpw

5. THE
COLLECTION

6. f rom an
Excel
spreadsheet
to a
Fi lemaker
Database

7. VASSAR AS ONE OF MANY

8. Integrated Access

9. DEMO COLLECT IONS
 http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3911043917853AE

10. THE
COLLECTION

11. “Omeka is a free, flexible, and open
source web-publishing platform for
OMEKA
the display of library, museum,
archives, and scholarly collections
and exhibitions.” ht tp://omeka.o
rg
ht tp://omeka.o
rg/about/
ht tp://www.om
eka.net
see more in
Par t 1 of the
screencasts at
ht tps://www.yo
utube.com/play
l ist?l ist=PL526
8E1CFBE921AC
9
• free
• open-source
• server-based, so you need a
web hosting provider
• requires tech support for
installation and
maintenance
• unlimited customization
• free Basic plan
• $49-$999/year for plans
with more storage
• hosting provided for you
• all updates done for you
• very limited customization

12. OMEKA
HOME
PAGE
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc

13. EXHIBITIONS

15. Browse
Exhibi ts
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/exhi
bi ts
see more in
Par t 3 of the
screencasts at
ht tps://www.yo
utube.com/play
l ist?l ist=PL526
8E1CFBE921AC
9

16. EXHIBITION:
Fashioning an
Educat ion
150 Year s of
Vassar Students
and What They
Wore
Spr ing 2011
ht tp://vcomeka.
com/vccc/exhibi
ts/show/fashion
ing/int roduct ion

18. Context for
objects

21. EXHIBITION:
For Bet ter
and For
Worse
Si xteen
Decades of
Wedding Wear
at Vassar
Spr ing 2013
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/exhi
bi ts/show/fbfw
/int ro

22. CUSTOM
EXHIBIT
LAYOUT
context and
mul t imedia
ht tp://vcome
ka.com/vccc/
exhibi ts/show
/fbfw/4gener
at ions/1954

23. OBJECTVRS
Inver se
Panoramas
rotate and
zoom

24. 2 BLOGS
pages.vassar.edu tryingonhistory.blogspot.com

25. NUTS AND BOLTS

26. keeping up
wi th Omeka

27. STAFFING
AND
SUPPORT
facul ty/student
-generated
vs.
l ibrar y -
generated

28. BROWSE
ITEMS
al l i tems
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/i tem
s

29. ITEM PAGE
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/i tem
s/show/4253

30. ITEM
SHOW
Main
Image
and
Metadata

31. <!- - tes t to echo one set of f ields for for Phy s i cal Objec t i tem t ype, another
set for ever y t hing el se - ->
<?php i f ( i tem_has _t ype ( 'Phy s i cal Objec t ' ) ) : ?>
<p><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type Metadata' , 'Objec tVR Link' ) ; ?>
<p><?php echo "Creat or : " ; ?> <? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , 'Creato r ' ,
ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Date: " ; ?> <? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , 'Date' ) ; ?>< br />
<?php echo " ID: " ; ?> <? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , ' Ident i f i er ' ) ; ?>< br />
<?php echo "Region: " ; ?> <? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , 'Spat ial Coverag e' ,
ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Cul ture: " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em Type Metadata' , 'Cul ture' ,
ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Per iod: " ; ?> <? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , ' Temporal
Coverag e' ) ; ?></p>
<di v id=" i tem-des c r ipt ion">
<p><?php echo "Des c r ipt ion: " ; ?><? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' ,
'Des c r ipt ion' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Label : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em Type Metadata' ,
'Label ' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Mater ial s : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' ,
'Medium' , ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo " Techniques : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I tem Type
Metadata' , ' Techniqu e' , ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Meas ureme nt s : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' ,
'Ex tent ' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type Metadata' , 'Credi t Line' ) ; ?>< br />
<?php echo "Worn by : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em Type Metadat a' ,
'Wearer ' , ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?></p>
</di v>
ITEMS/SHO
W.PHP
snippet for
i tem t ype
display
par t 1

32. <di v id=" i tem-des c r ipt ion">
<p><?php echo " Informat ion: " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Publ i c Informat ion' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "More Des c r ipt i on: " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I tem
Type Metadat a' , 'Des c r ipt ion Main' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Condi t ion: " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Condi t ion Term' ) ; ?><?php echo " ; " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em
Type Metadat a' , 'Condi t ion' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Spec i f i c Measu reme nt s : " ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Ches t : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I tem Type
Metadata' , 'Dimens i ons Ches t ' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Wai s t : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I tem Type
Metadata' , 'Dimens i ons Wai s t ' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Hips : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Dimens i ons Hips ' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "CF length: " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em
Type Metadat a' , 'Dimens ions CF Length' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "CB length: " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em
Type Metadat a' , 'Dimens ions CB Length' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Other : " ; ?><? php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Dimens i ons Other ' ) ; ?><br />
<?php echo "Bes t Mannequin: " ; ?><? php echo
i tem( ' I t em Type Metadat a' , 'Mannequin' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Gende r : " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Gender ' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Ref erenc es : " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I t em Type
Metadata' , 'Referenc es ' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Storag e Locat ion: " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I t em
Type Metadat a' , 'Storage Locat ion' , ar ray ( 'd el imi t er ' => ' , ' ) ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo "Repo s i to r y : " ; ?><?php echo i tem( ' I tem Type
Metadata' , 'Repos i to r y ' ) ; ?></p>
<p><?php echo i tem( 'Dubl in Core' , 'Right s ' ) ; ?></p>
</di v>
ITEMS/SHO
W.PHP
snippet for
i tem t ype
display
par t 2

33. ITEMS/
SHOW
Related
I tems

34. RELATED
IMAGES
inter ior
const ruct ion
views
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/i tem
s/show/4374

35. ITEMS/SHO
W
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/i tem
s/show/4131

36. <!- - begin related i tems - this wi l l display al l related i tems, using
the source ident i f ier f ield
<di v id=" i tem- relatedi tems " class="element " >
<di v class=" i tem- e n t r y ” >
<?php
$cur rent id = i tem( ' ID' ) ;
$sources = i tem( ' I tem Type Metadata' , 'Source Ident i f ier ' ,
ar ray ( 'al l ' => t rue) ) ;?>
<!- - inser t an i f statement to see i f i t 's empty - ->
<?php i f ( i tem( ' I tem Type Metadata' , 'Source Ident i f ier ' ) !=' ' ) : ? >
<h6>Related I tems:</h6>
<!- - check each source ident i f ier - ->
<?php foreach ($sources as $source) : ?>
<!- - check each matching i tem - ->
<?php $relatedi tems = get_i tems (
ar ray ( 'advanced_search' => ar ray(
ar ray (
'element_id' => 167,
' t ype' => ' is exact ly' ,
' terms' => $source
)
) ) ,50) ;
ITEMS/SHO
W.PHP
snippet for
related i tems,
par t 1

37. set_i tems_for_loop($relatedi tems ) ;
whi le( loop_i tems ( ) ) :
?>
<?php i f ( i tem_has_thumbnai l ( ) ) : ?>
<di v class=" i tem-nimg">
<?php echo
l ink_to_i tem( i tem_square_thumbnai l ( ) ) ; ?>
</di v>
<?php endi f ; ?>
<?php endwhi le; ?>
<?php endforeach; ?>
<?php endi f ; ?>
<?php set_cur rent_i tem(get_i tem_by_id($cur rent id) ) ; ?>
<p st y le="clear :both” > </p>
</di v>
</di v><! - - end related- i tems - ->
ITEMS/SHO
W.PHP
snippet for
related i tems,
par t 2

38. BROWSE
BY TAG
tag cloud

39. BROWSE
BY TAG
resul ts
ht tp://vcomeka
.com/vccc/i tem
s/browse?tags
=FrenchConnec
t ion11

40. ADMIN
INTERFACE

41. EDIT AN
ITEM
in the admin
inter face

42. CONTRIBUTION
plugin
see more in
Par t 2 of the
screencasts at
ht tps://www.yo
utube.com/play
l ist?l ist=PL526
8E1CFBE921AC
9

43. uniting
smal l
col lections
HISTORICDRESS.ORG

44. HISTORIC
DRESS.ORG
Omeka
prototype,
ver sion 1 –
ht tp://histor icd
ress.org/omeka

45. ht tp://histor icd
ress.org/omeka
/i tems/browse
?tags=1850-
1857+Long+sh
awls+low+cont r
ast

46. BROWSE
ITEMS
ht tp://histor icd
ress.org/omeka
/i tems/browse
?tags=wrapper
+%28garment%
29

47. SHAWLS
EXHIBIT
ht tp://histor icd
ress.org/omeka
/exhibi ts/show
/borderdesign/
docshawls

48. Integrated Access

49. Integrated Access

50. Contact
Me!
More detai ls
about working
wi th Omeka
in 3 shor t
screencasts at
ht tps://www.y
outube.com/pl
ay l ist?l ist=PL5
268E1CFBE92
1AC9
Arden Kirkland
arden@ardenkirkland.com
vcomeka.com/vccc
historicdress.org