"Omeka" is a Swahili word meaning to display or layout wares; to speak out; to spread out; to unpack. The Omeka team chose the name because it signifies the practices that Omeka helps its users to do with digital content and through building digital collections, exhibitions and online communities. Read more about the Omeka project or take the tour in the video below.
Pokello is the Sesotho word for a collection and this UFS Omeka S-based platform will help you create your digital collections or exhibits. Omeka S is an open source tool used to share digital collections and create media-rich online exhibits. The software was built with heritage and humanities in mind but can be used for a variety of digital content. Its greatest strength lies in its ability to provide context to a collection by creating connections with other content, and using the power of metadata to do so.
Pokello can be used by UFS academics and Digital Humanities researchers for class or research projects. To make use of Pokello you can submit a proposal. The platform is managed by the Library and Information Services' Digital Scholarship Centre (DSC) and hosted at ICT Services. Visit the DSC guide for more information on the support provided for Omeka S.
See our FAQs for more information or browse our digital collections for examples and ideas.
You can request a site by completing our application form.
Omeka S is typically available to faculty, researchers and students working on digital scholarship or archival projects.
Omeka S works best for digital collecitons, exhibits, archival materials, oral history, research dissemination, teaching tools, and collaborative projects that need structured metadata and media presentation.
You can upload images, audio, video, PDFs, and other file types. Omeka S allows you to describe each file using metadata and organise content into items, item sets, and exhibits using various modules.
Omeka S supports multiple metadata schemes including Dublin Core, Bibliographic Ontology, Schema.org and custom vocabularies. You can map fields to align with your project's needs and linked data goals.
No coding is required to use Omeka S. The platform has a user-friendly interface. However, customising themes or developing new modules may require knowledge of HTML, CSS, or PHP.
Yes, Omeka S allows multiple users with different permissions. This is great for class projects, group research, or community archiving initiatives.
Modules are plugins that extend Omeka S functionality. Popular modules include Exhibit Builder, CSV Import, Mapping, IIIF, and Search. The Digital Scholarship Centre can help you determine which modules best suit your project.
Contact the Digital Scholarship Centre. You can also consult the official Omeka S dcoumentation or the Omeka S Forum.