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Separate Omeka Photo Collection Membership from Exhibit Navigation

By ImgHeal · Updated

An Omeka S item set groups resources, while a site controls how selected material is presented to visitors. Do not assume that adding a set to a browse page automatically proves all intended photos appear in the exhibit. Plan and test the two structures separately.

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Describe why the photos belong together

Choose whether a set represents physical custody, an album, a donation, or a curated theme. Record that meaning so two sets with similar titles are not mistaken for duplicates. A photograph may legitimately belong to more than one grouping. Keep its own stable object record rather than duplicating it for every story. List the specific items expected in a small sample and retain the identifiers, because a set title alone cannot verify the intended membership.

Compare set membership with site selection

Omeka S documents overlapping item sets and separate site-resource controls for items and sets. Inspect both configurations using the documented administrative views. Check any queries used to populate the site, including restrictions by class, template, or owner. Distinguish adding a navigational link from actually making the resources available in the expected browse route. Have the site editor review broad replace or remove actions carefully, preserving the earlier membership plan before changing the publication scope.

Walk the exhibit as an ordinary visitor

Start from the site home page, follow the collection link, open a sample photograph, and return to the intended narrative. Repeat with an item belonging to two sets and one intentionally excluded from the exhibit. Confirm that a clear source description and edited-image disclosure remain available whichever path a reader takes. Keep a record of the accepted navigation route. Successful grouping is not the same as a usable exhibition: the visitor should be able to understand why the photograph appears there and locate its source without knowing the administrative structure.

Check this workflow

  • Define the meaning of each set.
  • Check site item and set selections separately.
  • Test an included, overlapping, and excluded sample.

Sources and further reading

Questions about this restoration task

Must I duplicate a photo item for every exhibit?

Usually a shared resource and deliberate site membership are more maintainable. Duplicate only when the records genuinely represent different objects or meanings.

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