So the non-UVa and -IU folks understand the context ... the IU Libraries basically wants to use Neatline as a standalone tool. For the faculty projects in question, all will be using Omeka, but at least two are not relying on the Neatline mapping features at the item level (the monographs, maps, pamphlets) but rather discrete data sets compiled from various sources including those we would feature in an Omeka exhibit. To get around this, which is what's causing the heartache, we need to set up an Omeka collection for essentially data that we would then like to render in Neatline (and not in Omeka proper). Once we have these initial points plotted, the researchers can then layer the maps with annotations, cross-references, etc.
We were exploring ways that we could streamline the process for batching chunks of geo and temporal data into Neatline with little to no technical wizardry or workarounds to make it happen (i.e., use of existing plugins). Mostly because we are hoping to establish Map-Based Discovery (digital library) "Services" for which Neatline would feature significantly (at least that's my hope). Obviously, to establish a service model, we need to be able to use existing tools and workflows as much as possible. However, we don't necessarily expect SLab folks to go and do the work to make this happen! I do think that in trying to wrangle Neatline in the way we have, we encountered more obstacles than expected, and soon began to realize that we didn't perhaps understand the architecture as well as we thought. It just so happened that in talking with David McClure, the Neatline crew has already encountered requests for supporting a use case similar to our, and we may have a more elegant solution yet!
As Brianna and I mentioned to David, we would like to contribute what we can toward this endeavor. It won't be code-based, but we have compiled lots of parallel documentation (workflows, scenarios, etc.) that I probably too narrowly label "from the library's perspective" that we'd like to share with the broader community and can work with SLab to integrate the relevant bits into Neatline's existing documentation. The community would also benefit greatly by seeing accompanying implementation documentation along with the Neatline "demo"/featured projects. Perhaps IU could help wrangle existing documentation for a few exemplars? (I know -- I said that, right? crazy!).
