Omeka Guidelines


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Dublin Core Metadata Fields

General data entry guidelines:

  • Capitalize the first letter in the field.
  • No periods at the ends of fields except those with narrative description (Abstract, Description, etc.)
  • Use <em></em> to make text display in italics, such as for the titles of published works.
  • For special characters (&, diacritics, etc), use HTML entity names. For example, use &amp; instead of &.

Title (required): Enter the title for the item. If you are attaching multiple files to the record, make sure your title is comprehensive. Put double quote around formal titles. If document is one page of a multiple-page item, indicate page number.

  • Do not include format of the item if the item is a photograph or painting
    • Correct:      Jane Doe at her 30th birthday party
    • Incorrect:    Photograph of Jane Doe at 30th birthday party

  •  Do not specify materials that comprise the object (as there are other fields for this information)
    • Correct:          Pocket watch of John Collins Warren
    • Incorrect:       Seven jeweled, open faced, gold pocket watch belonging to John Collins Warren

  •  Do not include page numbers (as these are specified in file-level metadata)
    • Correct:        Account book of James J. James
    • Incorrect:    Pages 17 and 21 of James A. James’ account book

  • Do not include the date of the item, as there is a discrete field for the date
    • Correct:         John Doe holding a stethoscope
    • Incorrect:     Photograph of John Doe holding a stethoscope dated 1860

 

Alternative Title: If the item is colloquially known by a different name, or is referred to as something else consistently in a collection by another name, include it here. For example:               

  • Title:  Medical bag of Robert R. Roberts
  • Alternative title:  Robert’s kit

 

Subject  (at least three subjects are required)

  • Use LCSH, LCNAF, MESH, and AAT thesauri for subject headings
    • The creator(s) of the item should always be a subject
    • The form and genre of the item should be a subject. Examples:
      • Correspondence
      • Laboratory notebooks
      • Photographs
      • Posters
      • Scrapbooks
      • Videocassettes
    • Assign  at least one topical subject
    • For Batch Import: enter multiple subject terms in the same cell, separating them using the delimiter "|" without spaces.
      • Example:  Correspondence|Laboratory notebooks|Physicians

Note that the following two fields, Description and Abstract, are not presented in intuitive order, but in the order in which they appear on the metadata form.

DescriptionExpansion of abstract if needed (see below). Use for detailed information, history of object, nature of correspondence, etc.

  • Write out abbreviations
  • Use the full form of an organization’s name at least once in the description (and not just the acronym)


Abstract (required): Nutshell summary of the item(s) being described

  • Write out abbreviations
  • Use the full form of an organization’s name at least once in the description (and not just the acronym)


Title/Abstract/Description Examples

Title:                  Post-mortem instrument set

Abstract:            Post-mortem set of fifteen instruments in wooden case, including cartilage knives and scalpels

Description:        Post-mortem set with fifteen instruments stored in wooden case with green velvet interior. Instruments are Tiemann and case is Codman & Shrutleff. Set includes costotome chisel, post-mortem hammer, steel handled cartilage knife, steel handled cartridge dissecting hook, textured ebony handled cartilage knife, three ebony handled dissecting scalpels, dissecting forceps, chain hook, enterotome, dissecting scissors, and #5 post-mortem knife, saw, and reamer with one insertable handle

 

Title:                    Early radiation warning symbol

Abstract:             Sketch of an early radiation warning symbol found in a draft document for a Subcommittee on Regulation of Radiation Exposure meeting

Description:        Hand drawn version of an early radiation warning symbol found in a November 1953 draft for a Subcommittee on Regulation of Radiation Exposure meeting held in Washington, D.C. The radiation warning symbol was first created in the late 1940s at the University of California’s Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley. It was not until the 1950s, however, that the radiation symbol was implemented as part of ANSI standard Z535, as published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Located throughout Taylor’s papers are numerous hand drawn early examples of the symbol. These early radiation warning symbols were discussed and drawn by members of committees of which Taylor was involved.


Table of Contents: Use only for the table of contents of a completely digitized printed publication

 

Creator (required): The creator is the person “most responsible” for what is being depicted (the author of the letter, the person who took the photograph, the person who painted the portrait, the person who made the model, etc.)

  • Personal names should be in Last name, First name format
  • Corporate names in direct order
  • If the creator is unknown, enter “Unknown”

 

Source:  Not used

 

Publisher: Name of publishing house or person who paid to have a book (or other publication) printed and distributed. Use only for books and serials.


Date: Not used

Date Available: Not used

 

Date Created (required): The date that the original item/work was created (not the date the scan/digital file was made).

  • Format date in ISO order, but write out month
  • Put a zero in front of single-digit dates
  • Put qualifying terms at the end of the date statement to facilitate sort order
  • If there is no date, enter “undated”
  • For items like scrapbooks, you can put the date range of creation
  • Examples:
    • 2003 January 07
    • 1999, circa
    • 2008 January, probably
    • Undated
    • 1920-1930, between


Date Accepted: Not used

Date Copyrighted: Not used

Date Submitted: Not used

Date Issued:Not used

Date Modified: Not used

Date Valid: Not used


Rights (required): Pick one of the following from the pick list. (Note: pick list field extends past the form window because of the length of the pick list items.)

  • The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu

  • The Boston Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu

  • The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all the materials in the collection. For use information, contact the Warren Anatomical Museum Curator at chm@hms.harvard.edu

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

 

Access Rights: While intended to indicate who has access to the electronic work, use field to indicate the access policy using one of the following from the pick list:

  • Access to the original work depicted requires advance notice. Contact Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu for additional information

  • Accessing collections in the Warren Anatomical Museum and the Warren Anatomical Museum archive requires advanced notice. Please submit a request to Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu to access the displayed item

 

License: Not used

 

Relation: Used to indicate a related resource held by the Center or the Warren Anatomical Museum specific to the item you are cataloging, not to the collection as a whole.

  • Example:  See Warren Anatomical Museum Catalog Number 00178 for additional snapping turtle skeleton

 

Conforms To: Not used

Has Format: Not used

Has Part: Not used

Has Version: Not used

Is Format Of: Not used

 

Is Part Of (required): Use to indicate where the item depicted came from.

  • For manuscripts: Enter the collection name, call number, box number, and folder number where the original may be found
    • Mary Ellen Avery papers, 1929-2002 (inclusive), H MSc201, Box 1, Folder 15

  •  For archives: Enter the record group, series name, series number, box number, and folder number where the original may be found
    • Warren Anatomical Museum Records, Series 00341: VII. Exhibition Files

 

  • For rare books: Enter the collection name (if applicable) and the call number
    • Treadwell Library, Countway Medicine Rare Books, 22.Ea.5
  • For serials: Enter the collection name (if applicable) and the call number

  •  For Warren objects: Enter the group, collection name, or other locator as provided by the curator
    • Medicinal Preparations
    • Osteological Preparation: Human

 

Is Referenced By: Not used

Is Replaced By: Not used

Is Required By: Not used

Is Version Of: Not used

 

References: Use to indicate that a finding aid is available online for the collection that the item is a part of, or to link to a complete digitized item (such as a digitized book in the MHL). Click the box that says “Use HTML” and use one of the following:

  • <p>An online <a href="https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/med00XXX/catalog" target="_blank">guide to the collection</a> is available. <p> 
  • <p>View the <a href="insert internet archive link" target="_blank">complete work online</a> at the Internet Archive.</p>

 

Replaces: Not used

Requires: Not used

 

Format: The physical medium of the original item (not the digital surrogate). Choices are:

  • application (a computer program created to serve a specific purpose)
  • audio (an audio recording, such as found on CD, cassette tape, mp3, or LP)
  • image (a visual work, such as a photograph, painting, mural, etc.)
  • model (a physical object used to illustrate what something will look like once constructed or manufactured)
  • multipart (a file that combines one or more different sets of data in a single body, such as a pdf combining four volumes of a published work)
  • text (a textual work such as a book, newspaper, periodical, broadside, manuscript page, record, etc.)
  • video (a moving image recording, such as a film, DVD, mp4 file, etc.)

 

Extent: The extent of what is depicted, not the extent of the whole collection. Examples:

  • 1 photograph
  • 1 oral history (3 separate recordings compiled)
  • 1 video recording (.02 gigabytes) and 1 transcript (8 pages)
  • Excerpt (2 pages)

 

Medium: The material or physical carrier of the resource (in other words, what the original is “made of”).  This is generally relevant to Warren Anatomical Museum objects, photographs, audiovisual materials, slides, etc. Leave blank if a paper document. Use AAT-derived terms where possible.

Examples:

  • Acetate film
  • Audiotape
  • Black and white photograph
  • Brass (alloy)
  • Color photograph
  • Digital audio tape
  • Film
  • Negative
  • Videotape

Language (required if item is textual): Write out the full name of the language (English not En)

 

Type (required): The nature or genre of the original resource. Choices are:

  • dataset: a file generated by statistical or other data aggregation software
  • moving image: a film or video recording, with or without sound
  • physical object: a three-dimensional object, such as a museum object, artifact, or instrument
  • sound: an audio recording with no picture
  • still image: a visual image
  • text: a textual document, such as a book, letter, or pamphlet

 

Identifier (required): Use for the scanning log ID number (matches the file name of the scan. For WAM items, enter here the Warren museum number, accession number, and/or any other identifier associated with the item depicted.

  • The identifier field is repeatable, so one item can have multiple identifiers. Each identifier should be in its own field. Additionally, identifiers for ALL files attached to the item record should be entered here. Do not input identifiers at the file level in Form Five.
  • If digital IDs (scanning log numbers) are sequential, you can enter a span of identifiers in a single field. This will make the display more usable.

Examples:

    • Warren Anatomical Museum Catalog Number: 00179
    • Warren Anatomical Museum Catalog Numbers: 00179-00183
    • Warren Anatomical Museum Catalog Number: TEMP00493
    • Warren Anatomical Museum Catalog Number: TEMP00493-TEMP00500
    • DigID0001234
    • DigID0001234-001250

 

Bibliographic Citation: Not used

Coverage: Not used

Spatial Coverage: Not used

Temporal Coverage: Not used

Accrual Method: Not used

Accrual Periodicity: Not used

Accrual Policy: Not used

Audience: Not used

Audience Education Level: Not used

Mediator: Not used

Instructional Method: Not used

 

Provenance: Use to indicate who gave the item to the Center or the Warren. Examples:

  • Gift of Lilly Elizabeth Hoffmann to the Lloyd E. Hawes Collection in the History of Radiology, Harvard Medical Library, 1969
  • Gift of Drs. Banting and Best to the Harvard Medical Library, 1927
  • The Mary Ellen Avery Papers were gifted to the Harvard Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine by Mary Ellen Avery, 1999-2003, and were delivered in four accessions: 2000-001; 2000-031; 2001-064; and 2003-054
  • Tissue slides were prepared by Lynn Reid at the Children’s Hospital of Boston between 1983 and 1984. Reid was the head of the Department of Pathology at Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts and S. Burt Wolbach Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Reid donated the slides with her manuscript collection to the Harvard Medical Library in July 2006. They were transferred to the Warren Museum in 2011.

 

Rights Holder: Not used


Item Type Metadata Fields

The Item Type refers to the “category” or class of file(s) you are uploading. Select one of the following item type and enter the associated metadata:

 

Document: A resource containing textual data. (books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles). Use copy files are usually PDFs.

  • (metadata sub-fields for this Item Type are not currently in active use by the Center).

Moving Image: A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion. Use copy files are usually MP4s.

  • Metadata sub-fields:
    • Embedded Media: Enter here the associated embed code from Vimeo.com; be sure to check the HTML box.
    • Transcription: Any written text transcribed from a sound.
    • Original Format: 16 mm, DV, DVD, etc. 
    • Duration: Length of time involved (ex: 00:22:30)
    • Compression: Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4)
    • Producer: Name (or names) of the person who produced the video.
    • Director: Name (or names) of the person who produced the video.

Sound: A resource primarily intended to be heard (compact disc, audio cassette, WAV, etc.). Use copy files are usually MP3s.

  • Examples: a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
  • Common File Formats: AIFF, MIDI, MP3, OGG, QT, RA, WAV
  • Metadata Element Description
    • Transcription: Any written text transcribed form the sound
    • Original Format: Analog or digital
    • Duration: The length in time
    • Bit rate/Frequency: The number of bits used to represent each sample in an audio file, determining the accuracy of the sample

Oral History: A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge (can be an audio recording, video recording, and/or written transcript)

  • Metadata Element Descriptions
    • Embedded Media: Enter here the associated embed code from Vimeo.com; be sure to check the HTML box.
    • Transcription: Any written text of the interview
    • Interviewer: Person performing the interview
    • Interviewee: Person being interviewed
    • Location: Location of the interview
    • Original format: Analogy or digital format, or any other specifics
    • Duration: The length in time
    • Bit rate/Frequency: The number of bits used to represent each sample in an audio file, determining the accuracy of the sample
    • Time summary: Summary of interview at different type stamps throughout the interview
    • Translation: Interview translated from one language to another language

Still Image:  A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Use copy files are usually JPGs.

  • Metadata Element Description
    • Original Format: If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, photograph, and additional data.
    • Physical Dimensions: The size of the original image.

Event:  Use for videos of Center events.

  • Metadata Element Description
    • Duration: Length in time (01:22:30)
    • Event type: What type of event
    • Participants: Names of individuals or groups participating in event

Other Item Types not currently in use at the Center:

  • Website
  • Email
  • Lesson Plan
  • Hyperlink
  • Person
  • Interactive Resource
  • Timeline
  • User Comments

Creating Items (manually)

To Create a new item, from the staff-side interface: 

  1. Select the Items tab, and click the green Add an Item button in the top-left. 
  2. Under the main/Dublin Core tab, enter metadata according to the guidelines below.
  3. Associate the item with a Collection from the Collection pick-list on the right side of page.
  4. Select whether the item should be Public and/or Featured using the checkboxes on the right.
  5. Under the Item Type Metadata tab, enter metadata according to the guidelines below.
  6. Under the Files tab, upload one or more reference files (note the maximum file size of 500 MB).
  7. Once complete, click the green Add Item button on the right.


Batch Importing Items (via CSV)

Batch uploading to Omeka requires the 1) creation of separate spreadsheets for each collection and each Item Type you want to upload (document, still image, etc. -- this is the item type you selected in the scanning log for the field batchimport_itemtype) and 2) ftp’ing your image files to the Orchestra folder /www/collections.countway.harvard.edu/support/onview/file_upload/.  Access to the FTP folder is currently restricted to two people: the Collections Services Archivist and the Diversity & Inclusion Archivist.

Prepare the metadata CSV

  1. Open the Batch Import Template spreadsheet from N:\Administration_CHoM\Programs_and_Program_Planning\Omeka\Documentation

  2. Save the template with a new name (Batch, date, collection, item type)  that describes the batch in: N:\Administration_CHoM\Programs_and_Program_Planning\Omeka\Omeka Batch Imports
    1. You will need a separate import spreadsheet for each Item Type.
    2. Example file names: Batch20130905_Bibring_Document.xls
                                        Batch20130919_Bibring_StillImage.xls

  3. Filter in scanning log for the collection/item type you want to import:
    1. Find a record with the collection number you're looking for, right click in the cell with that collection number, and select Equals "[call number]". Then do the same in the Type field if needed.
  4. Highlight the rows you want to copy from the left edge of the access table. 

  5. In the Excel template, highlight the top blank row (row 3) from the first column (A) up through and including the horizontal black line (the last cell highlighted should be column N). 

  6. Right click in the highlighted section and select Paste Special, then Text, and click OK. When you get the "not the same size" window, click OK.

  7. Spreadsheet cleanup: 
    1. Check to ensure that all scanning log fields/columns align appropriately with the import template columns.
    2. Delete Row 3 (with the Access table headers)
    3. The template is designed to automate some of the prep for you:
      1. The Identifiers (column I) from the scanning log are run through a formula to help you generate the "DigID" identifier (column U) and the file name/path (column V)
        1. Add the appropriate filename extensions for your files in column Q. 
        2. Copy and paste the VALUES ONLY from columns S and T > Columns U and V (DublinCore: Identifier and Files).
      2. The Dublin Core:IsPartOf field data is automatically concatenated from the various scanning log fields in column O. 
        1. Copy and paste the VALUES from column O > P (DublinCore: IsPartOf) for this data to import.
    4. Review all other metadata and make additions and modifications as needed to ensure it conforms to the metadata guidelines. Field headers in bold are required.
    5. Run a spellcheck!

  8. Delete all columns with orange headers. Other columns with blank data do not need to be deleted.

  9. Save the spreadsheet as a CSV.

Prepare the digital files

  1. Copy all digital files (reference copies) into: N:\Administration_CHoM\Programs_and_Program_Planning\OMEKA\Omeka Batch Imports\Batch Import Files
  2. If a Collection does not already exist in Omeka for the materials you're importing, create one.
  3. Digital files must be added to the Omeka FTP folder in order to be imported to Omeka. Currently only the CSA has access to the FTP folder; notify the CSA when your batch is ready to be imported.
    1. FTP settings (for the CSA):
      1. Name: Omekabatch

      2. User: [ecommons ID and password of CSA. Will push an orchestra access request through Duo.]

      3. Host: orchestra.med.harvard.edu

      4. Path: n/www/collections.countway.harvard.edu/docroot/onview/file_upload

        1. See also stage.collections... and dev.collections...

Import using the CSV Import Plugin

Test First!
It's generally recommended to first perform a test import on the stage site before importing to the live/production site (stage: https://stage.collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/admin/)

  1. From the CSV Import tab, select the following:
    1. Upload file: choose prepared metadata CSV
    2. Automap Column Names to Elements: check this
    3. Select Item Type: select corresponding type
    4. Select Collection: choose relevant collection
    5. Make All Items Public? check this
    6. Choose Element Delimiter: |
    7. Click Next
    8. Review all fields to ensure data mapped correctly.
    9. Check "Use HTML?" (first checkbox column) for any fields that may contain html INCLUDING special character code like &amp; (Title, Description, Abstract, References, Subject)
    10. Check "Files?" (last checkbox column) for the Files field
    11. Check "Tags?" (middle checkbox column) in the Tags field if used
    12. If using any Item Type fields (like Still Image fields), you'll need to manually map these using the dropbown boxes. 
  2. Click the green Import CSV File button.
  3. You'll see a status of Completed on the next screen once it's done. 
  4. Click on the "items" tab to sample check your new item records and make sure everything came through ok. 
  5. If something went wrong and you need to tweak some things and try again, go back to the CSV Import tab, and at the top click the "Status" page, then click Undo Import on the right next to your import job. 

 

Collections

Collections in Omeka, as employed by the Center, are both researcher-friendly “buckets” of digitized Center holdings, either by format or programmatic area, and discrete groups of digitized items specific to manuscript/archival/rare books/WAM/etc. collections within those broader content buckets. The organization of collections is accomplished through Omeka’s Collection Tree plugin.

The Center has the following collections (or "buckets"):

  • Archives for Women in Medicine
  • Artwork and Artifacts
  • Center Selections
  • Manuscripts and Archives
  • Rare Books and Journals
  • Warren Anatomical Museum
  • Visitor Comments

Creating a new bucket requires the approval of the Deputy Director; Omeka users will for the most part create new collections and assign them to an existing bucket. Once a collection has been created, users create item level records to describe digitized content and then associate those items with a particular collection. Item records (to which one or many scans can be attached) can be associated with only one collection. However, item records can be associated with many exhibits.

To Browse a list of collections that already exist, click on the Collections tab from the staff-side interface, and a list of collections will display. You can sort the list of collections by Title or Date Added. You can view all the items associated with the collection by clicking on the underlined number under the column header “Total Number of Items.”

To edit a collection (change the collection name or description, edit typos, etc.), click on Edit.

To create a new collection:

Note: You must have Admin privileges or higher to create collections.

  1. Review list of collections already in Omeka and verify that the collection you want to create does not already exist. Do not go by the list of collections on the public website, as many collections have not been published, and so are not visible online
  2. Click on Collections tab, then click the green Add a Collection button in the top-left.
  3. Fill out collection form:

    • Title: enter the collection title as it appears the Finding Aid Title [Creator name authority. Papers/Records/Collection, Inclusive and/or Bulk Dates. Call number.]
      • WAM modification: [Creator/User/Institution name authority] Collection, [Creation or Usage date range.] WAM [WAM object number range].
        • WAM note: Some collections have many associated WAM numbers. If the numbers exceed 10, including the numbers on either side of ranges, instead list the earliest number in the sequence followed by a " - ". 
    • Description: enter two paragraphs, one pulled from the MARC 545 (biographical note/administrative history) and the second pulled from the MARC 520 (scope and content note).
      • WAM modification: 
        • MARC 545 is the biographical note or administrative history for the creator or user. No WAM equivalent exists. For WAM collections, these biographical and administrative history notes will follow the archival/library conventions found in the policy manual. Keep in mind that these notes should be drafted in regards to the individuals or organizations most relevant to the collection, which may be a user rather than a creator. The note can be abbreviated for individuals with complex and long histories. 
        • MARC 520 is the scope and content note for the collection. No WAM equivalent exists. For WAM collections, draft the field per DACS guidance while modifying it for WAM content (https://saa-ts-dacs.github.io/dacs/06_part_I/04_chapter_03/01_scope_and_content.html) Include some modified provenance data in this field, particularly in regards to the creation and usage of the collection. 
      • Additional WAM fields
        • Subject: (at least three subjects are required)
          • Use LCSH, LCNAF, MESH, and AAT thesauri for subject headings
            • The creator(s) of the item should always be a subject
        • Provenance: Describe the donation date and donor of the collection group
    • Check whether or not collection should be “public” or “not public”.
    • Check “featured” if you want the collection to show up on the Omeka “home page” as a featured collection or “not featured”.
    • Select a Parent Collection ("bucket") from the “Select a parent collection” pick list.
  4. Click “Save Collection”

Accounts & Permissions

[To be added]

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