The best way to build an online exhibit in Omeka is to catalogue clean, reusable item records first, plan a tight narrative of three to seven sections, then assemble the exhibit as a presentation layer over those items rather than as the place you store data. Treat the exhibit as storytelling and the item pool as your single source of truth. This separation means one well-curated collection can power several exhibits and stays maintainable for years.

Why should you catalogue items before building the exhibit?

An exhibit in Omeka should never be where your descriptive metadata lives. Create proper item records first, with consistent titles, dated values, creators, subjects and a rights statement, then reference those items from exhibit pages. If you embed images directly into HTML blocks instead, you lose searchability, reuse and provenance. Clean items also let you reuse the same object in a future exhibit without re-describing it.

How do you plan the narrative structure?

Sketch the spine before touching the software. A reliable shape:

1. Introduction — one page stating the question or story and why it matters.
2. Three to five thematic sections — each section answers one sub-question.
3. Conclusion / further reading — where the visitor goes next.
4. Credits — funders, lenders, contributors, rights.

Keep each page to a single idea and one to four objects. Visitors skim; a page crammed with twelve images reads as a database dump, not a story.

Which builder should you use, and how?

In Omeka Classic, install the Exhibit Builder plugin, create an exhibit, add sections, then add pages with a layout (gallery, file-with-text, horizontal). In Omeka S, create a site and build pages from blocks:

Page: "The 1907 Flood"
  Block 1: HTML            -> intro paragraph
  Block 2: Item Showcase   -> 3 selected photographs
  Block 3: Media Embed     -> IIIF viewer of the damage map
  Block 4: Browse Preview  -> link to all flood items

Reuse the same blocks across pages so styling stays consistent.

How do you handle images and rights responsibly?

Concern	Best practice
Load speed	Embed medium derivatives; link to full view
Very large images	Use IIIF / deep-zoom tiles, not raw masters
Rights	Add a rightsstatements.org or CC URI per item
Attribution	Credit lenders and photographers on the item
Reuse terms	State clearly what visitors may download

Apply the rights statement at the item level so it travels with the object into every exhibit automatically.

How do you make the exhibit accessible and citable?

Write meaningful alt text on every image describing the content, not "image1.jpg". Keep heading levels in order (one H1 per page, then H2s). Check your theme's colour contrast meets WCAG AA. Give each item and exhibit page a stable URL and add a suggested citation block so scholars can reference it. Test the full path with a keyboard only, including any embedded IIIF or map viewers.

What is the pre-launch checklist?

• Every item has a title, date, creator (if known), subject and rights statement.
• The exhibit has an intro page, a clear section order and a credits page.
• All images have descriptive alt text and load at sensible sizes.
• Internal links and item links resolve; no dead pages.
• The narrative reads top to bottom without the visitor needing prior context.
• A colleague who has never seen it can follow the story unaided.

Key Takeaways

• Catalogue clean, rights-bearing item records first; the exhibit is only a presentation layer.
• Plan three to seven sections, one idea and a few objects per page.
• Use Exhibit Builder in Classic or composed blocks in Omeka S, reused consistently.
• Apply rights statements at item level so they travel into every exhibit.
• Use IIIF or deep-zoom for large images to keep pages fast.
• Add alt text, ordered headings and a citation block before launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I catalogue items before or after planning the exhibit?

Catalogue items first as reusable resources, then build the exhibit on top. The exhibit is a presentation layer; if the items are clean and well-described, you can reuse them across many exhibits.

What is the recommended length for an Omeka exhibit?

Aim for three to seven sections, each with one to four pages. Longer than that and visitors lose the narrative thread; most readers will not click past the first few pages.

Do I use Exhibit Builder or page blocks?

In Omeka Classic use the Exhibit Builder plugin; in Omeka S build pages from blocks such as Media Embed, Item Showcase and HTML. Both achieve the same narrative goal differently.

How should I credit sources and rights in an exhibit?

Put a rights statement on every item record (ideally a rightsstatements.org or Creative Commons URI) and add a credits or acknowledgements page to the exhibit itself for funders and lenders.

How do I keep image loading fast?

Let Omeka generate derivatives, embed medium-sized thumbnails that link to full views, and use IIIF or deep-zoom for very large images so visitors load tiles instead of multi-megapixel masters.

How do I make an exhibit accessible?

Write descriptive alt text on every image, keep heading levels in order, ensure sufficient colour contrast in your theme, and test keyboard navigation through interactive viewers.

Related reading

• How to Get started with Omeka S
• Add IIIF to Omeka S
• Organise items with Omeka item sets
• Map metadata in Omeka S
• Mirador viewer