FedoraConnector by Scholars' Lab

Connect Omeka to a Fedora Commons repository.

FedoraConnector connects items in an Omeka collection with objects in Fedora Commons repositories. The plugin makes it possible to create one-to-one associations between Omeka items and Fedora objects and automatically populate the Dublin Core record for the item with values extracted from datastreams associated with the Fedora object.

The plugin also exposes a system of extensible “sub-plugins” that makes it possible to easily add custom importers and renderers to handle different datastream formats (basic Dublin Core, MODS, and image-type handlers come pre-installed).

Here’s the basic workflow:

• Add server records that point to Fedora Commons repositories: Different items in the same Omeka collection can pull from objects in different Fedora repositories.
• Associate Omeka items with Fedora objects: Each item in the Omeka collection can be linked to one or more of the datastreams provided by a single Fedora object.
• Populate item records with Fedora data: The plugin retrieves data from the Fedora datastreams and maps it onto the fields in the Dublin Core record for the item. For datastreams that do not deliver plain-text data than can be written directly into the Omeka elements, the plugin can also generate new markup to display content (like images) pulled directly from the repository.

Requirements

Currently, FedoraConnector can only interact with Fedora servers that do not place authorization checks on remote requests to access object datastreams. Refer to the Fedora Commons documentation on installing, configuring, and running a digital repository.

Installing and Configuring

1. Copy the FedoraConnector folder into the “plugins” folder of the root Omeka installation. (see Installing a Plugin)
2. In the Omeka administrative interface, click on the “Settings” button at the top right of the screen, go to the “Plugins” tab, and click the “Install” button next to the listing for Fedora Connector.