Creating an Item on Omeka

In this section, you will add the document you have edited to our Omeka website. As you do so, you will also add some information to the TEI Header in your XML file.

I recommend not trying to do these steps on a phone. You can access and edit in Omeka on a phone, but you may not be able to see the "Add item" and "Save changes" buttons.

Also, if you're working on a desktop or laptop computer, make sure that you have your browser window maximized. Otherwise, you may have trouble seeing the buttons there also.

Step 1. Access the Omeka Site

Omeka is the open-source platform on which this website is built. As a tool for building digital archives, Omeka is used by researchers, museums, libraries, archives, and others around the world.

To access Omeka, see the page Logging into Omeka in our Canvas site.

You have been assigned the role of contributor, which will allow you to create new items.

Step 2. Create a new item

Once you are logged in, select "Items" in the menu on the left, and then click "Add an item." 

Step 3. Complete the Dublin Core metadata

Dublin Core is the metadata standard used by Omeka. It is a collaboratively developed alternative to more traditional metadata schemes, and is widely employed in digital humanities projects today.

Follow these instructions to complete the Dublin Core metadata for the item you have edited (see our document spreadsheet).

The examples below use data from the existing item "Letter from James Lloyd Jordan to Eartha M. M. White, December 15, 1895, Jacksonville, Florida." Please note that all the metadata you create should relate to the document you have edited, not that sample item.

Please note also that the metadata for many of the other existing items on this site does not follow exactly the format described here. They will be updated to match this format.

You can save your item at any point in the following process. The first time you do so, the button will say "Add Item." After that, it will say "Save Changes."

3.1 Title

Copy and paste the value for <title> that is in the TEI Header of the XML file. For example:

<teiHeader>
  <fileDesc>
    <titleStmt>
    <title>Letter from James Lloyd Jordan to Eartha M. M. White, December 15, 1895, Jacksonville, Florida</title>
    <titleStmt>
  <fileDesc>
<teiHeader>

Note that you should just copy and paste the value (here that's "Letter from James Lloyd Jordan to Eartha M. M. White, December 15, 1895, Jacksonville, Florida") not any of the XML elements.

3.2 Subject

Leave this field blank.

3.3 Description

3.3.1 Click "Use HTML" below the textbox.

3.3.2 Click on the "<>" icon to view the HTML source of the textbox.

3.3.3 Copy and paste the following:

<p>Your summary here</p>
<p>Final review for this item is pending (see our 
<a href="https://earthawhite.org/phased-publication-model" 
target="_blank" rel="noopener">phased publication model)</a>.</p>

3.3.4 Click "Ok."

3.3.5 Replace "Your summary here" with a 1-3 sentence summary of the document. 

3.3.6 Copy and paste your summary (just the 1-3 sentences you wrote, not "Final review...") into <msContents><summary> in your TEI Header.

3.4 Creator

This will be the name of the author of the document.

3.4.1 If there is already be a value in <titleStmt><author> in your TEI Header, and you feel it is correct, copy that over to Omeka.

3.4.2 If there is no value in <titleStmt><author>, or if you believe what is there is incorrect, you may put the correct information there and copy it to Omeka. If you don't know who is responsible for the creation of the document, it is fine to leave this field blank.

3.5 Source

3.5.1 Copy and paste the following:

University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carpenter Library Special Collections and University Archives, Eartha M.M. White Collection, Folder #, Item #

3.5.2 Replace the number signs with the folder # and item #. These will be the last two nodes in the XML filename. For instance, for the file ew_j2_511.xml, the values are Folder J2, Item 511.

Any letters will be lower case in the filename (as in j2), but you should make them capital here (J2).

3.5.3 Make sure that the information here matches <msIdentifier><idno> in your TEI header:

<msIdentifier>
  <country>USA</country>
  <region>Florida</region>
  <settlement>Jacksonville</settlement>
  <repository>University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carpenter Library
  Special Collections and University Archives</repository>
  <collection> Eartha M.M. White Collection</collection>
  <idno>Folder J2, Item 511</idno>
</msIdentifier>

3.6 Publisher

Leave this blank.

3.7 Date

This will be the date the archival document (not your edition of it) was created, in the format YYYY-MM-DD. For instance, February 14, 1902 would be

1902-02-14

If you do not know the date, use:

Unknown

If you know just the year, use just those four digits:

1902

If you know the year and month, but not the day, use just those six digits:

1902-02

If an item contains multiple documents with different dates, use the date of the earliest document.

3.8 Contributor

3.8.1 Add other contributors, if applicable

If your file was previously worked on by someone else, that person's name and contributions will be in the TEI Header of your XML file. Make sure you add them now as contributors to the Omeka item.

This will be true if your document was transcribed by someone in the Library (see Transcription 1.3.3 "Am I the first to transcribe this document?"). This will also be the case if you have chosen a document that was partially completed by a student in a previous semester of DIG4152/HIS5934.

After each name that you add, click "Add input" to create another field. 

3.8.2 Add yourself

Add your full name as you would like it to appear.

3.8.3 After your name, add

(transcription, encoding, and edition)

as in

Amber Stevenson (transcription, encoding, and edition)

Make sure your name here matches what you put in the TEI Header. If they don't match, adjust one or the other so that they do.



3.9 Rights


Copy and paste the following:


Made public online with the permission of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Florida


3.10 Relation


Leave this field blank.


3.11 Format


Copy and paste one of the following, as appropriate:


Handwritten, # pages

Typed, # pages

Print, # pages


Use "Typed" for a unique document that has been written on a typewritter. Use "Print" for anything that has been created through a printing process, such as a pamphlet or an event program.


Replace # with the number of pages in the document itself, not the number of images (in some cases, multiple pages have been scanned into one image). Please spell out the number if you can express it with one or two words:


Handwritten, one page

Handwritten, ten pages

Handwritten, twenty-two pages


When images of the envelope are included with a letter, add ", with envelope," as in


Handwritten, # pages, with envelope


    

    3.12 Language
    

    This should be:
    

    EN
    

    3.13 Type
    

    Copy and paste one of the following values:
    

    Advertisement

    Biographical Sketch

    Business Card

    Calling Card

    Event Program

    Historiographical Sketch

    Letter

    List/Inventory

    Notes

    Pamphlet

    Poem

    Postcard

    Report
    

    If none of these apply to your document, leave this field blank or contact Dr. McCarl for guidance.
    

    3.14 Identifier
    

    This should be the XML filename, without the .xml file extension. For instance, for ew_j2_511.xml, the value for identifier is
    

    ew_j2_511
    

    All letters should remain lower case.
    

    3.15 Coverage
    

    Use one (or both) of the two following terms, as appropriate (if using both, click "Add input" to create a second field).
    

    19th Century Florida

    20th Century Florida
    

    If neither applies, leave this blank or contact Dr. McCarl for guidance.
    

    Step 4. Complete Item Type metadata
    

    4.1 Add the needed HTML
    

    Click on the "Item Type Metadata" tab.
    

    Under "Item Type," select "Text."
    

    Check "Use HTML" under the text box.
    

    Click the "<>" icon to view the source code for the text box.
    

    Copy and paste the following:
    

    <p><a href="https://unfdhi.org/ewproject/content/ew_j2_511.xml" target="new">Access this document in a separate window</a></p>
    <p><iframe width="100%" height="850" src="https://unfdhi.org/ewproject/content/ew_j2_511.xml"></iframe></p>
    

    Replace ew_j2_511.xml with the name of your filename twice (once in the <a> tag and again in the <iframe> tag.
    

    Click "Ok."
    

    Click "Save Changes" (if you haven't yet saved your item for the first time, the button will say "Add item").
    

    4.2 Make sure it works
    

    Click "View Public Page" (if you don't see this button, you may still need to click "Add item" -- once you do, go back in and edit your item and you should see it).
    

    Ensure that your XML file is displayed in the "Text" box toward the bottom of the page.
    

    Click on "Access this document in a separate window."
    

    Ensure that a new window opens displaying your XML file.
    

    If there is a problem, go back to 4 and make sure that you have added your filename correctly in both the <a> and the <iframe> tags. If there is still a problem, contact Dr. McCarl.
    

    Step 5. Upload images
    

    Before doing this step, please select "Save Changes" (or "Add item," if you haven't yet saved the item for the first time). For documents with a lot of images, this step can sometimes be problematic and you don't want to lose the work you've done so far. 
    

    5.1 Gather your document images
    

    Navigate to this folder and find the images that correspond to your document. They have the same name as the XML file, with an additional node as a sequence number: ew_j2_511_001.jpg, ew_j2_511_002.jpg, ew_j2_511_003.jpg, etc. These filenames are also found in the values of the facs attribute of the <pb> elements in your XML file.) 
    

    You can also access the images by saving them while viewing your XML file in the browser window.
    

    Save them to a location on your computer (in most cases you can right/control+click and choose Save image as). Be sure to get all the images for your document and do not alter the filenames.
    

    5.2 Upload them to the Omeka item
    

    Click on the "Files" tab.
    

    Select "Choose file."
    

    Browse to the first file, highlight it, and click "Open."
    

    Click "Add another file."
    

    Repeat this process until you have selected all the images. As you do so, please note:
    

      

    • If you have more than 10 images, consider selecting "Save Changes" once you have selected 10, and the continue. Trying to upload a large batch at once can be problematic.
      • 

    • Make sure that you select the images in the right order. There is no way to re-order them later.
      • 

    

    When you have added all the images, click "Save Changes."
    

    Step 6. Add tags
    

    Click on the "Tags" tab. We're going to tag the Omeka item there to make it easier to find based on various factors. 
    

    As you go through the steps below, note that you can click "Add Tags" at any time, but your changes won't be saved until you actually click "Save Changes."
    

    6.1 Add date
    

    Based on the date on which your document was created (the date you used above for the Date field in the Dublin Core Metadata), copy and paste one of the following into the empty field.
    

    1890-1899

    1900-1909

    1910-1919

    1920-1929

    1930-1939

    1940-1949

    1950-1959

    1960-1969

    1970-1979
    

    Click "Add tags."
    

    When you have added this tag, click "Save Changes." 
    

    If the date of your document doesn't correspond to one of those ranges, you may leave off this tag. 
    

    6.2 Add names
    

    

    View your XML file in the semantic view. Everything you tagged as <name> should appear in bold. We will add all those names as tags on Omeka.
    

    Please note the following:
    

      

    • As you begin to type an item, Omeka will suggest the corresponding tag to you (sometimes it takes a second or two, so please be patient) and you can select it. Please be careful to not create new tags for items that already exist in the system.

      • 

    • For names of people, please enter the tags in this format: lastname, firstname, as in these examples: "Johnson, William"; "Rogers, Sally". (Note that all the existing tags involving people's names may not be in this format. They will be updated.)

      • 

    • If people are referred to in the document by a nickname or a firstname only, enter their full name as their tag, when it is known. For instance, James Lloyd Jordan signs his letters "Jimmy" but we enter "Jordan, James Lloyd" as the tag. If you don't know the full name, use the nickname or first name.

      • 

    • Please do not include Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc., with three exceptions: 1. when someone is mentioned only by last name and we can't determine their first name: "Stevenson, Mr."; "Wilson, Mrs."; 2. we will include Rev. (please leave it abbreviated).

      • 

    • When people's names involve multiple initials, separate them with periods but not spaces, as in this example: Gregg, E.J.

      • 

    • Names that are abbreviated in your document may already exist in the system spelled out. Make sure, therefore, that you are not creating a new tag with initials for someone whose name may already be present in full. If you're unsure whether an existing tag refers to the same person that appears in your document, contact Dr. McCarl for guidance.

      • 

    • For cities, please use the name of the city following by a comma and the two-letter state abbreviation, as in these examples: 

      Boston, MA

      New York, NY

      Jacksonville, FL

      • 

    • For counties, please use the name of the county following by a comma and the two-letter state abbreviation, as in these examples: 

      Duval County, FL

      Leon County, FL

      • 

    • For city streets in Jacksonville, please use this format:

      Ashley Street (Jacksonville)

      Broad Street (Jacksonville)

      • 

    • We will tag the names of institutions without "The" at the beginning. For instance, Clara White Mission, not The Clara White Mission.
      • 

    

    The following are common tags. If these apply to your document, please use the versions below, and do not create new versions (or select alternative versions that may have inadvertantly been created) for these items:
    

    Bethel Baptist Church/Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
    

    (This institution is referred to by numerous names in the system, but all involve the term Bethel Baptist. We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document. Note that Bethel Baptist is different from Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.)
    

    Bethune-Cookman College/University
    

    (This institution is referred to by numerous names in the system, but all involve the term Bethune or Cookman. We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document.)
    

    Boylan Haven School
    

    (This institution is referred to by numerous names in the system, but all involve the term Boylan. We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document.)
    

    Edward Waters College/University
    

    (This institution is referred to by numerous names in the system. We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document.)
    

    Florida Normal and Industrial/Collegiate Institute/Memorial College
    

    (This institution is referred to by numerous names in the system. Generally, they contain the term Normal (a normal school was a school to train teachers). We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document.)
    

    Gray, Annie A.
    

    (She is Annie Gray in most cases, but we will tag her with her middle initial, which appears in some documents.)
    

    Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901
    

    (The fire is referred to in various ways, but we'll use this tag for all.)
    

    Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College/University
    

    (This institution--which we generally call FAMU today--is referred to by numerous names in the system. We will use this tag in all cases, regardless of the specific reference in a particular document.)
    

    Johnson, John Rosamond
    

    (Note that his middle name is often spelled Rosemond in the documents, but we will use this tag, with it spelled Rosamond, in all cases.)
    

    Johnson, James Weldon
    

    (Note that he may be referred to as James Johnson or James W. Johnson in the documents, but we will use this standard tag in all cases.)
    

    Lewis, Abraham Lincoln
    

    (He appears often as A.L. Lewis, but this is his full name.)
    


    Old Folks' Home
    

    (This generally appears without an apostrophe in the documents, but we are going to include it in all cases.)
    

    Stanton School/High School
    

    (Various names for Stanton appear in the documents. We will use this tag in all cases.)
    

    White, Eartha Mary Magdalene
    

    (Although Eartha M.M. White is mostly commonly used when referring to White on document descriptions and elsewhere on our website, we will follow our general rule and expand the abbreviations in her name when tagging her on the Omeka items.)
    

    You can add multiple items to the input field at once, separating each with a semi-colon (;). When you click "Add Tags," it will move any that you have in the input field down below, and you can continue to add more.
    

    Remember that your changes won't be saved until you click "Save Changes."
    

      

      6.3 Add titles
      

      We will add all titles in double quotation marks (we can't use italics in tags) followed by "by" and the full name of the author, when known. See these examples:
      

      "Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson
      "Black and White" by Timothy Thomas Fortune
      "Man on a Mountain" by Zora Neale Hurston
      

      If your document contains a mention of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," please be sure to select this existing tag:
      

      "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson
      

      Note that these are the titles of songs, poems, books, etc., that are mentioned in your document, not the title of your document itself.
      

      When you have added everything, click "Save Changes."
      

      6.4 Add type
      

      Add as a tag the value you entered for Type in the Dublin Core Metadata. Remember that this should be one of the values listed above in 3.13.
      

      6.5 Add an additional tag for letters and postcards
      

      If your item is a letter or postcard, add one of the following tags (whichever is most appropriate):
      

      Personal Correspondence

      Professional Correspondence
      

      When you are done, click "Save Changes."
      

      These tags are important because they will make your item appear automatically in either the timeline of personal correspondence or professional correspondence on the Omeka site, as appropriate.
      

      Step 7. Handle final details
      

      7.1 Do not select "Public" nor "Featured"
      

      You will see two check boxes on the right-hand side that say "Public" and "Featured." Leave both of them unchecked.
      

      7.2 Select collection
      

      On the right-hand side, you will also see "Collection." In the drop-down list, select "Summer 2026 DIG4152/HIS5934."
      

      Then click "Save Changes."
      

      7.3 Add URL to our spreadsheet of documents
      

      Copy the URL of the Omeka item and paste it in the "Link to EW Omeka item" column for the corresponding on our document spreadsheet.
      

      The URL is the address of the webpage, which you can find in your address bar. You can also create it manually by adding the number of your item (see the top of the Omeka window) to this string: "https://earthawhite.org/items/show/". For example, https://earthawhite.org/items/show/137 
      


      
        
            
        
      
    Creating an Item on Omeka