Omeka: Collections, and finding aids

Overview

GHM uses two forms of finding aids: the informal aid is the Omeka search utility for finding individual artifacts and isolated documents; we do not create a unique finding aid for individual objects. Formal finding aids are Omeka Collection records, which are created as Omeka Item Sets. Both kinds of aids rely on proper use of terminology, description, and organization. This document is primarily focused on our formal aids.

Creating a finding aid: Collection Record

Prior to creating your first Collection, you should discuss the collection and receive approval from the director to do so. You must also have a login to Omeka-S, our archiving software; and you must know how to access it and log in. These instructions also assume that you are already familiar with basic Omeka functionality.

First, for clarity: in Omeka terminology, an Item Set is the description of a collection and what it contains; while a Collection is GHM terminology for an Item Set and all the items assigned to that Set.

For GHM, the Item Set itself (all its fields and description) functions as a finding aid for the items assigned to it. This is not an ideal system; if we want the finding aid to list all items in the collection, we must manually add them to the description.

1. Create a new item set. On the initial Values tab, fill in these:
2. Set the Resource Template to “Collection” and the Class to “Dublin Core Type: Collection.”
3. Set the Type. GHM typically uses only one of three types:
   1. Collection: for a blend of objects, photographs, and paper-based materials
   2. Records: materials created or received by an organization in the conduct of their affairs
   3. Papers: a collection of personal or family documents that are solely paper-based materials
4. Set the Collection Title, following the guidelines of the DACS. In short, use the formal title if one exists (e.g., the title of a book or publication). If there is no formal title, devise a title that consists of:
   1. the name of the creator(s) or collector(s), in natural name order (e.g., “John Doe” not “Doe, John”)
   2. the nature of the materials being described (e.g., papers, letters, collection, etc.)
5. Create the Description and Subject. The Description is not detailed, but in brief should describe the scope of the collection and major content groups of the collection. The Subject is also very brief, giving the broadest possible overview of the subject matter (e.g., “personal correspondence between family and friends”).
6. Date: This can contain one or more of:
   1. a date expression — a simple, human-readable description of the time period covered by the collection;
   2. inclusive dates — the specific dates of the earliest and latest document;
   3. bulk dates — rarely used, in cases where there is one or more major outliers.
7. Source: this is used if part or all of the collection comes from one or more other formal sources. For example, if this is a collection of newspaper clippings, the Source field would include the name of each newspaper used.
8. Table of Contents: you might not have this information when you first set up the Item Set; it can be added later. If the collection has more than one subunit, list them by unit numbers. For example: Unit 1: Victoria Bailey letters Unit 2: W.C. Bailey letters Unit 3: photographs
9. Extent: a unit of measurement of the size of the collection. In most cases for GHM, this is the number of documents in the collection (not the number of items which have been added to Omeka). Note this this is not a dynamic field; it does not automatically update if new items are added.
10. Creator: This is usually your name. It is the person or people responsible for creating the Omeka Collection.
11. Provenance: Note all known information about who created the collection, who has possessed it over time, and where it has been located over time.
12. Storage Location: This is the literal physical location(s) of the collection at this moment in time. This field must be manually changed any time any part of the collection is moved.
13. Curatorial Information: This is typically used for information about the condition of the collection, concerns about conservation or preservation, or other notes from the Curator.
14. Accession Details: Collections can contain a group of objects with a single accession number, or an assortment of different accession numbers. Enter the accession number(s), accession date(s), and the name(s) of the accession creator(s).
    1. If the individual items are all under a single top-level accession number, use that record without its subunit numbers (e.g., 2022.3.1 might contain 100 documents, numbered 2022.3.1.1 through 2022.3.1.100; in this case, enter 2022.3.1).
    2. If every item in the collection has a different accession number, enter all of them separated by commas.
    3. If some items are not previously accessioned while other items are, work with the Director or Registrar to get a new top-level accession number with which to assign new subunits to the undefined items. In this field, enter that new top-level number plus the other accession numbers in the collection.
15. Depositor: If known, enter the full name(s) and contact information for the donor(s) of the collection. Click the Make Private "eyeball" icon to the right of the text field to hide this information from the public.
16. Relation: Link any other related Omeka records outside the collection.
17. Add the item set to the Collections web page. This is critical as it will not appear on the public pages until it is added. This also gives you the option to keep the Collection hidden until you are ready for the public to see it.
    1. Click on “Sites” near the top of the left menu bar. If you cannot see any sites listed, talk to the Director to be assigned additional permissions.
    2. Click the pencil icon to the right of the Greer Heritage Museum site name.
    3. In the Sites sub-menu of the left menu bar, select Resources, then click on the Item Sets tab.
    4. Find your Item Set in the right column, and click on it.
    5. Click Save.