Archives in the physical realm and the digital realm might look a bit different, but both serve the purpose of providing access to items and collections to scholars, instructors, and the general public. Just as one would enter a physical gallery and view items, the goal is to have the same experience digitally as well. In fact, the metadata available to both the physical viewer versus the digital viewer adds to the depth of understanding of the object and the story that it tells. In fact, the story not only tells of the individual piece itself but as with any good archive, it allows for the exploration of related items which produce an entire collection.
Thinking about the difference between the digital versus in-person exploration of items, each allows for a unique experience. For the purpose of this blog, I’ll delve a bit more into the perks of being accessible digitally. Digital galleries, if off-site and available online, allow the explorer to access the information and items without the restriction of time and distance travel. Additionally, this could argue for being more cost-effective, not paying for transportation, possible hotel stays for those located in faraway places, and entrance fees. One could also argue that the accessibility online would also allow for less time restrictions, as galleries or libraries have standard operating hours, but the online viewer is able to access the viewings after work hours, weekends, and other times of convenience.
When thinking of such collections, it is evident that the metadata descriptions, such as those included with the Omeka program, are of utmost importance for the consumer to have a fuller understanding that they would not be able to glean otherwise without viewing in person. This information might include height, width, materials utilized, and other identifying information. It also argues the point of the importance of the archivist making sure the photos are accurate and, if possible, allow for a 3-D effect.
Collections can be grouped in a variety of ways depending on what message the archivist is trying to convey. Is it about a particular writer or artist? Is it about a particular period of time or event? Is it about a particular person’s own personal collection and a historical representation of a family or lineage? Is it a representation of a culture and if so, from whose point of view? This then goes into the question of bias or groupings centering on only one topic or train of thought, while the items and metadata could point to an entirely different concept of display, grouping, or archives.
The importance of the metadata really comes into play at this point. If the metadata is complete and provides a variety of fields, the consumer should then be able to sort and search among a variety of items and connect the dots of totally different groupings. An example might be a museum having collections grouped by artist, but the consumer is able to reconfigure the search and bring about items by time period or perhaps grouped by subject matter across a variety of artists and time periods.
Programs such as Omeka are highly valuable in the age of digital access, not only for the purpose of viewing items and learning about the nuances of its history and physical attributes, but to allow for the consumer to be able to explore items, concepts, events, and history through other lens, thus allowing a broader array of interpretation and understanding.