Getting Started with Relationships¶
Relationships are the heart and soul of the Digital Archive. They are what make the Digital Archive different from other databases or Omeka projects you may have worked with. Relationships are like the lines that connect the dots in those puzzles you did as a kid. Until you drew the lines, you only saw dots and numbers, but once you connected the dots you saw a picture!
Relationships in the Digital Archive are like relationships in the real world. They tell us how two or more people, places, or things are connected to each other. For example, a man owned a boat, worked for a business, and was married to a woman. The words owned, worked for, and married to are relationships that tell us how the man was connected to the boat, the business, and the woman.
To get started with relationships:
- See an example of related items
- Learn about the Archive Relational Model
- Understand what Reference Items are all about
- Learn about the five kinds of relationships
- Add a relationship to an item in your collection
Big Topic
Relationships are the most sophisticated and powerful feature of the Digital Archive.
As such, it takes time and effort to understand and learn how to use them. Approach this
topic with that in mind so that you don't become overwhelmed. If you are anxious to just
get started with relationships,
learn how to add relationships to an item.