Adding & Managing Items

Adding & Managing Items

The Items page (found in the Curation menu of the administrative dashboard) displays all items that have been added to your exhibit.

When you first create an exhibit, this list will be empty. After adding items, you will see:

• Item title and/or identifier
• Date added
• Public or Private status
• Thumbnail image (if available)

From this page, you can:

• View item details
• Edit exhibit-specific metadata (such as exhibit tags or custom fields)
• Change item visibility
• Reindex items
• Sort items by different criteria
• Adjust the number of items displayed per page

Note: Editing an item within Spotlight allows you to update exhibit-level metadata (such as tags or custom fields), but not metadata managed in an external repository.

To add items, select Add Items in the upper-right corner of the page.

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Adding Items from a Repository (If Configured)

Spotlight can be configured to pull items directly from an external repository or digital collection system. Repository integrations vary by institution and may support different workflows.

Depending on your local implementation, you may be able to:

• Search for items within a connected repository
• Add items using identifiers
• Import entire collections
• Harvest metadata via API

Because repository integrations are configured locally, consult your institution’s documentation or technical team for specific instructions.

After repository items are added, they are indexed and behave like other exhibit items within Spotlight.

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Adding Items Not in a Repository

Spotlight also allows you to add items that are not managed in an integrated repository. These items require you to provide both the file and the associated metadata.

After being added, uploaded items:

• Are indexed and searchable
• Can be used in most exhibit widgets
• Can include custom metadata fields defined for the exhibit

There are two primary ways to add non-repository items:

Add a Single Item

Use the Upload item tab to add items individually.

1. Upload the file representing the item.
2. Enter metadata in the provided fields.
3. Select Add Item.

By default, a small set of metadata fields is available (for example: title, description, attribution, date). If you have defined custom metadata fields for your exhibit, those fields will also appear here.

While most fields are optional, providing a clear and descriptive title is strongly recommended.

Add Multiple Items Using a CSV File

If you have many items to upload, you can use a CSV (spreadsheet) file to add them in bulk.

Step 1: Download the Template

1. Go to the Upload multiple items tab.
2. Download the CSV template file.

The template includes:

• Core metadata fields
• Any custom metadata fields defined for your exhibit

Step 2: Prepare Your Spreadsheet

1. Open the template in a spreadsheet application.
2. Each column represents a metadata field.
3. Each row represents one item.

For each item:

• Enter a publicly accessible URL to the file in the URL field.
  • The file must be hosted online and accessible to the public.
  • Files stored only on your local computer will not work.
• Fill in any relevant metadata fields.

When finished, save the file as a CSV.

Step 3: Upload the CSV

1. Select Choose file under the CSV File field.
2. Select your completed CSV.
3. Select Add Items.

You should see a confirmation message after submission. Indexing runs in the background. When indexing is complete, the items will appear on the Curation > Items page.

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Important Tips for Uploaded Items

• Accepted file formats are typically JPG, JPEG, or PNG (confirm with your local configuration).
• Individual files may be subject to size limits.
• Ensure files are correctly oriented before uploading. Some mobile device images contain embedded orientation data that may cause incorrect display.
• Metadata prepared in bulk cannot always be edited later through the bulk upload interface. Review carefully before uploading.
• Rows with a blank URL field may be skipped during upload.
• Spreadsheet encoding issues can cause upload errors. If problems occur, open the CSV in a plain text editor and re-save the file.

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Adding Items via IIIF

Spotlight supports adding well-formed IIIF manifests from external repositories.

To add a IIIF manifest:

1. Provide the manifest URL.
2. Add it using the external resource workflow.

Spotlight supports adding well-formed IIIF manifests from external repositories. However, IIIF display in Spotlight’s viewers can be inconsistent. Because behavior may vary, thorough testing is recommended before using IIIF manifests in production.

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Reindexing Items

Reindexing updates the exhibit’s search index to reflect metadata changes.

Reindexing happens automatically when new items are added. However, you may need to manually reindex if:

• Repository metadata has changed
• Exhibit-level metadata has been updated
• Items are not appearing as expected

To reindex:

1. Go to the Items page.
2. Select Reindex items.

Reindexing runs as a background job. You may leave the page while it completes. A status message will indicate progress.

The time required depends on the number of items in the exhibit.

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Hiding Items from Public View

You can hide items without removing them from the exhibit.

To hide an individual item:

1. Locate the item on the Items page.
2. Uncheck the Public box.

The item will be marked Private and will no longer be visible to public users.

To hide items in bulk:

• Use the bulk actions or bulk update tools.

Private items remain visible to exhibit administrators. You can use the Item Visibility facet (if enabled) to filter between Public and Private items.