Major Milestones for Omeka
Today, the Omeka team is releasing the first major point release for Omeka S: 1.0. It is available for download today. We are also revealing a redesigned, Omeka.org, which represents a major undertaking of effort that has happened at the edges of all other pressing design, development, and outreach work.
Omeka S 1.0
One year following the Beta, the release of Omeka S 1.0 demonstrates the stability of the platform.
Created with funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Omeka S is engineered to ease the burdens of administrators who want to make it possible for their users easily build their own sites that showcase digital cultural heritage materials and share those resources as linked open data.
If you’re unfamiliar with Omeka S, take a quick tour. Play in the Sandbox to test out the S platform before installing: Get a login, then explore the Sandbox.
Omeka.org:
As Omeka grows, it is more important than ever to showcase all of Omeka’s platforms, and to make it easier for different users to find what they need more quickly.
It is easier to distinguish among the Omeka Classic, Omeka S, and Omeka.net platforms, as well as other projects such as Omeka Everywhere.
In addition to showcasing a refreshed look and feel, Omeka.org also boasts of some new important features:
- New directories for themes and plugins for Omeka Classic and themes and modules for Omeka S; plus a streamlined process for registering any addon;
- Updated user manuals and developer documentation for Classic and S;
- History of the Omeka project.
This also is a good time to remind you that you can partner with the Omeka Team on a grant or hire us to plan & scope digital projects; to design Omeka sites; to develop new functionality or custom add-ons; or to run a workshop. Learn more about Omeka Services, and how we can help.
Omeka Team
When Sharon Leon, Tom Scheinfeldt, Jeremy Boggs, and I submitted the first grant proposal to build “Omeka,” we could not have predicted its forthcoming success and wide adoption as a scholarly communications platform by cultural heritage professionals, instructors, and students around the globe. This success comes because of a talented team throughout the years, who was dedicated to open-source ethics and good practices; user-centered design; standardized metadata; outreach to users and developers; detailed documentation; and support, together with funding from multiple agencies and foundations our funders over the years who has made this work
I recently took over as Director of Omeka, and I couldn’t be prouder of the talented team I get to work with every day. Today’s major milestones are possible through their dedication and hard work:
- John Flatness: Omeka Lead Developer
- Jim Safley: Omeka Senior Developer and database/metadata architect
- Kim Nguyen: Omeka Lead UI/UX Developer
- Patrick Murray-John: Omeka’s Director of Developer Outreach
- Megan Brett: Omeka End User Outreach and Testing Coordinator
- Ken Albers: project manager for the Omeka.net hosted service, and Omeka web developer
- Sharon Leon: Director of Omeka Services and Associate Professor of Digital History at Michigan State University
- Alyssa Fahringer: End User Testing Associate
- Jannelle Legg: End User Testing Associates
We also count on users like you to support us. Thank you for contributing code and documentation; for teaching workshops and creating LibGuides; and for helping us to continue moving the project forward.
So today, test drive Omeka S 1.0 and browse the new Omeka.org, and give us your feedback on the Forums.