Editing Text-Based Items for The Virtual Museum of Public Service

The Virtual Museum of Public Service uses Omeka to host its exhibits. This guide will walk you through editing text-based HTML pages using Microsoft Word as a simple HTML editor and updating the content in Omeka.  For example, the educational resources are text-based materials that can be edited with the instructions below.

Step 1: Copy the Existing Content from Omeka

1. Navigate to the page you wish to edit (e.g., Virtual Museum of Public Service Exhibit).
2. Highlight the text content you want to edit directly on the webpage.
3. Right-click and select Copy, or use the shortcut Ctrl + C.
4. Open Microsoft Word and paste the content into a new document using Ctrl + V.

Step 2: Edit the Content in MS Word

1. In Microsoft Word, make the necessary edits to the text.

• Use Word’s basic formatting tools to make changes. For example:
  • Bold: Highlight the text and click the Bold button (or use Ctrl + B).
  • Italic: Highlight the text and click the Italic button (or use Ctrl + I).
  • Lists: Use the bullet or number list feature as needed.
  • Headings: Create headings by selecting text and choosing a heading style from the "Styles" section in Word.

To add or update hyperlinks:

• Highlight the text you want to link.
• Press Ctrl + K to open the hyperlink dialog box.
• Enter the URL in the Address field and click OK.

Save your document regularly to avoid losing your work.

Step 3: Copy the Edited Content Back to Omeka

1. Once you’ve made all the necessary changes in Word, highlight the edited text.
2. Copy the text by pressing Ctrl + C or right-click and select Copy.

Step 4: Replace the Content in Omeka

1. Log into the Omeka Admin Dashboard:

• Navigate to the exhibit or page you wish to edit.
• Select the item or exhibit (e.g., educational resource) you want to update.

Edit the Page in Omeka:

• Locate the "Description" text box within the editing interface, which contains the main content of the exhibit.
• Select all the existing content in the "Description" box (use Ctrl + A) to highlight it, then press Delete to remove the old content.
• Paste your updated content from Word into the "Description" text box by pressing Ctrl + V or right-clicking and selecting Paste.

If necessary, use the Omeka editor’s toolbar to adjust any formatting issues that may arise during the paste process. Save the page by clicking the “Save” or “Submit” button.

Step 5: Final Check

1. After saving, view the page on the live site to ensure all changes are displayed correctly.
2. Test all hyperlinks to ensure they work as expected.

Additional Notes

• Backup: Consider saving a copy of the original text from Omeka before making changes, in case you need to revert.
• Link Testing: Before finalizing your updates, test all hyperlinks to ensure they lead to the correct destinations.