Useful Plugins for Omeka

    The idea of a timeline may be somewhat of an outdated way to organize information but in a digital format it can be extremely helpful and interactive. In Omeka there is a plugin called Neatline Time in which the user can upload links of important dates and events onto a timeline. This application would be extremely useful to any exhibit that is showing a progression of any kind.

By offering the information in chronological order the viewer is able to make connections not only with important events in one topic’s history but it would also offer a broader view of what else is happening in the region, state, country, or even the rest of the world. 

For my group’s research on WBT/WBTV, I think the timeline would be beneficial in showing the stations advancements over time. WBT was involved in a lot of ground breaking “first”, that can be compared to other stations through the south and the rest of the country. WBT began in 1920 and has covered a lot of topics in American history. Its role in radio and television communication was extremely innovative and ahead of its time. The best way to show what they accomplished in those years is to lay out the major milestones on a timeline.

I think that almost any exhibit can find use for a timeline, to put the events in perspective of the world around them.