Content Layout Guide
Curatescape projects differ from typical Omeka projects in that the Item record – Omeka’s central unit of content – is used to catalog a specialized Story, rather than, say, an archival photograph or document. Curatescape stories may, of course, include archival photographs and other documents (including audio, video, etc.), but – unlike in a typical Omeka project, such as a digital archive – these files are not the primary content, but rather a component of the textual story. Most often, files are used to complement the story, serving as photographic evidence, illustrating an interpretive perspective, and/or simply adding visual interest. Metadata for each file is stored in a separate File record, which exists within the larger Item record but has its own metadata record. The Story itself is stored at the Item level, with content divided into structured fields and sections within the entry form, including Dublin Core fields, custom Curatescape Story (Item Type Metadata) fields, Tags, and plugin-generated fields, such as the Map section. Below is an illustration of how each structured field is translated for display on the public webpage.
The screenshots below are using the Curatescape Echo theme, but most of the same principles apply to the Curatescape Classic theme.
See annotated screenshot below.
- Subject: This component is created using (in order of priority) the name of the Collection for the item, the first Dublin Core: Subject term or the first Tag. If no collection, subject, or tag is present, the item label will be used (e.g. Story). The text will link to the relevant list of items. You can configure which fields are used here in theme settings under Item Headers.
- Title: This component is created using the Dublin Core: Title. Avoid putting line breaks in the Dublin Core: Title field.
- Subtitle: This component is created using the Curatescape Story: Subtitle field. Avoid putting line breaks in the Curatescape Story: Subtitle field.
- Creator: This component is created using the Dublin Core: Creator. For items with multiple authors, use the Add Input button to add additional authors in their own separate field. The byline for items with multiple authors will be formatted with an ampersand separating names and/or with (Oxford) comma separating names when there are more than two (e.g. "by Jane Doe & John Doe" or "by Jane Doe, John Doe, & James Doe"). The text for each author name will be linked to a list of items containing the identical author name. If no text is present, the byline will read "by [site title]". Do not use HTML in the Dublin Core: Creator field.
- Hero Image: This component uses the first image file for the item record. To change the image in use, drag and drop to change the order of files when editing the item record. Metadata for the file (including Dublin Core: Title, Dublin Core: Creator, Dublin Core: Source, and Dublin Core: Date) will be included to create a truncated caption. File metadata is explained in more detail below (#8). The hero image will be used to represent the item on the homepage, on maps, when browsing items, and as a preview image when sharing on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
- Lede: This component is created using the Curatescape Story: Lede field. This should consist of a single paragraph of text that is designed to draw in the reader by providing an overview, summary, introduction, or teaser for the story to come. Note that the Lede, when present, is also used as the preview text when the item appears in a tour.
- Story: This component is created using the Curatescape Story: Story field. This is the main text and should contain at least 2-3 paragraphs. You may use HTML to create links and to format bold, italic, and underlined text, as well as links, lists, and blockquotes. Other HTML may be removed before saving and/or before being displayed to users.
See annotated screenshot below.
- File Metadata: The caption for each file is created by editing the file after upload. The key metadata fields for the caption include Dublin Core: Title, Dublin Core: Description, Dublin Core: Creator, Dublin Core: Source, and Dublin Core: Date. If no text is present for the Dublin Core: Title field, it will be displayed as "Untitled." If you wish to create a link for the Dublin Core: Source field, you may use HTML. Bare/unlinked URLs are not recommended here or anywhere else. File captions are critical for conveying additional information about a file, and also for providing text-equivalent information for users who may not be able to access images, video, and audio files (see Accessibility). Note that additional metadata for each file is available on the file page by clicking the title link.
See annotated screenshot below.
- Map: Use the Map tab on the editor form to set the coordinates and zoom level for the map location. The hero image will appear in the map info window.
- Street Address: The street address is the first part of the map caption, which is important for providing text-equivalent information to users who may not be able to access the interactive map (see Accessibility). Use the Curatescape Story: Street Address field to enter an address, formatted as a single line (e.g. "401 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio"). Line breaks will be removed.
- Access Info: This is the second part of the map caption, which is important for providing text-equivalent information to users who may not be able to access the interactive map (see Accessibility). Use the Curatescape Story: Access Information field to communicate additional information to users, such as whether the location is accessible to the public, how to find the location, if it has been demolished, how the location relates to the story, etc.
- Resources: Use the Curatescape Story: Related Resources field to add additional information related to the item, such as citations and recommended reading. For items with multiple related resources, use the Add Input button to add each resource in its own separate field. HTML may be used to format citations, links, etc.
- Subjects: This component is created using the Dublin Core: Subject field. It is recommended to use a controlled vocabulary. If the Simple Vocab plugin is active, choices will be available as a dropdown menu. To add multiple subjects, use the Add Input button. The text will link to a list of items using the same subject.
- Tags: This component is created using the Tags tab on the editor form. It is recommended to only add tags that are likely to appear more than once. Existing tags may be recommended as you type. When adding multiple tags, separate each with a comma. Click the Add Tags button to save your tag selection. The text will link to a list of items using the same tag.
The following components are not included in the screenshots above, but are available to use as needed.
- Sponsor: Use the Curatescape Story: Sponsor field to add the name of a person or organization that has sponsored the research for this specific entry. The name will be added to the end of the byline as "with research support from [name]" (e.g. by John Doe with research support from Jane Doe). This field should only be used to indicate a contributor that is not part of your content team but that has provided material support for a specific item and not to document the owner or funder of the project as a whole.
- Factoid: Use the Curatescape Story: Factoid field to add a box to the end of the story text containing facts or pieces of information related to the entry. Examples include architectural metadata, preservation status, FAQs, pieces of trivia, etc.
- Official Website: Use the Curatescape Story: Official Website field to add a link to an official website related to the item. Bare/unlinked URLs are not recommended here or anywhere else. Use HTML to create a link.