How to build an exhibit in NINES
Dana Wheeles
University of Virginia
675
Using Exhibit Builder
The NINES Exhibit Builder is an authoring tool that allows users to remix online content into essays, annotated bibliographies and other formats. You can use it to workshop papers and exchange ideas with your peers, or share it with the world wide web under a Creative Commons License.
All you need to begin is a free account in NINES, with which you can collect and tag items of interest from your search results. You can manage these resources using your My 9s page, along with saved searches, group membership and forum discussions. At the lower right of your My 9s page, there is a section for Exhibits, with a link to Create A New Exhibit.
The NINES Exhibit Builder is an authoring tool that allows users to remix online content into essays, annotated bibliographies and other formats. You can use it to workshop papers and exchange ideas with your peers, or share it with the world wide web under a Creative Commons License.
All you need to begin is a free account in NINES, with which you can collect and tag items of interest from your search results. You can manage these resources using your My 9s page, along with saved searches, group membership and forum discussions. At the lower right of your My 9s page, there is a section for Exhibits, with a link to Create A New Exhibit.
Exhibit Wizard
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This link will open up the NINES Exhibit Wizard, which will guide you through the basics: creating a title, adding objects to cite, setting a custom URL, and even a thumbnail image.
***NEW! If you already have a document saved in Microsoft Word .docx format, you can upload it to NINES from this screen and pre-populate your exhibit.***
***NEW! If you already have a document saved in Microsoft Word .docx format, you can upload it to NINES from this screen and pre-populate your exhibit.***
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Optional step: adding collected objects to your exhibit
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NINES objects work like bookmarks for peer-reviewed and primary resources within the site. Once your exhibit is set up, you will be able to link to documents outside of NINES as well, using the 'External Link' option.
Once you have completed the Exhibit Wizard, an empty template will appear on your screen. If you chose to upload your .docx file at the beginning of the process, then your content will be ready and waiting for you. It may need some extra formatting to fit the new template, so be sure to check all pages, links and footnotes.
Once you have completed the Exhibit Wizard, an empty template will appear on your screen. If you chose to upload your .docx file at the beginning of the process, then your content will be ready and waiting for you. It may need some extra formatting to fit the new template, so be sure to check all pages, links and footnotes.
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An empty template, with drop-down options
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At the upper left of your screen is your Exhibit Palette, with icons representing the NINES objects you've already associated with this exhibit. At the upper right is the Exhibit Profile, where you can edit the title, the CC License, the URL and thumbnail image. If you decide you want to share your work with a group, you can do that from the Exhibit Profile, as well.
The main portion of the screen is divided into sections. When you mouse over these sections, they are highlighted gray, and clicking on one of them will bring up a rich text editor for adding text. There are different kind of sections offered: text only, text with illustration, blockquotes and headers. These are the basic elements for styling your work in NINES.
Every exhibit template offers 2 pages, with three sections on the first page. You can make a full exhibit with just one section if you like, or experiment with other options for showing pictures or linking to objects. If you'd like to delete a section from this page, simply click the red "X" at the upper right.
The main portion of the screen is divided into sections. When you mouse over these sections, they are highlighted gray, and clicking on one of them will bring up a rich text editor for adding text. There are different kind of sections offered: text only, text with illustration, blockquotes and headers. These are the basic elements for styling your work in NINES.
Every exhibit template offers 2 pages, with three sections on the first page. You can make a full exhibit with just one section if you like, or experiment with other options for showing pictures or linking to objects. If you'd like to delete a section from this page, simply click the red "X" at the upper right.
Next up: working with the text editor.
How to build an exhibit in NINES
Dana Wheeles
University of Virginia
676
The Text Editor
If you're working mostly with text, then the basic 'Text' section should provide all you need. Basic formatting options are provided (bold text, italics, underlined text, strikethrough) as well as a drop cap option that offers a little extra style for your essay. Ordered and unordered lists are also available as well as a link option (to both NINES objects and other internet sites) and footnotes.
If you're working mostly with text, then the basic 'Text' section should provide all you need. Basic formatting options are provided (bold text, italics, underlined text, strikethrough) as well as a drop cap option that offers a little extra style for your essay. Ordered and unordered lists are also available as well as a link option (to both NINES objects and other internet sites) and footnotes.
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The rich text editor
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Adding Links
Engage the rich text editor by clicking on the relevant section in your exhibit. After entering text, highlight the word or phrase you would like to link elsewhere, and click the chain link icon at the upper left. This will engage a new dialog, showing the NINES Objects you have collected and associated with the current exhibit. You may also click the All My Objects tab to peruse the rest of your collections for the link you need. If you're having trouble finding the item you need, this dialog offers a drop-down to sort your collections by Date Collected, Author and Title. You can also filter the objects by typing the title or author of the object into the blank on the right of this drop-down. |
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Linking Outside of NINES
Although NINES objects are offered by default, you can also link to web pages and images on the World Wide Web. In the Set Link dialog, simply change the type of link to External Link and paste the URL in the field below. Please keep in mind that URLs are subject to change, so links outside of NINES may require more maintenance on your part in the future. |
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When you've completed your exhibit and you're ready to share it, all you have to do is edit the profile and choose the sharing option you prefer. We require that you select a Creative Commons License at this point, to make sure you are credited for all your hard work.
Next up: adding images from NINES
How to build an exhibit in NINES
Dana Wheeles
University of Virginia
1498
Adding images to your exhibit
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Paris Exposition: Place de la Concorde, Paris, France, 1900
The Brooklyn Museum
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Harriet Beecher Stow, Lyman Beecher, and Henry Ward Beecher
The Pageant of America (NYPL)
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Columbia bicycles.
New York Public Library
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Adding images from NINES
All of the images above can be found in NINES through the search index. (If you do come to the site looking primarily for visual materials, you may find it helpful to browse, or target your search by genre: such as Photograph or Visual Art.) In the course of your search, when you see images you would like to include in an exhibit, log in to your account (or sign up if you don't have one) and collect those objects. This works like a bookmark in your account - once you have collected an object, the authoring tool will automatically save the important information attached to it for later.
All of the images above can be found in NINES through the search index. (If you do come to the site looking primarily for visual materials, you may find it helpful to browse, or target your search by genre: such as Photograph or Visual Art.) In the course of your search, when you see images you would like to include in an exhibit, log in to your account (or sign up if you don't have one) and collect those objects. This works like a bookmark in your account - once you have collected an object, the authoring tool will automatically save the important information attached to it for later.
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Once you've created the template for your new exhibit, you have several options for inserting illustrations. The drop-down for each section includes:
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Your options for editing illustrations
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Once you click to add an illustration to your section, a dialog will appear, with options for image captions at the top (as well as basic formatting for them) and a list of objects to choose from in the lower portion. If you have already added some images to the exhibit, they will appear (as they do in this image) under the 'Exhibit Palette', but it is more likely that this list will be empty for new users. Toggle over to 'All My Objects' to see a list of all the NINES objects you have collected over time, and choose from among them.
Some long-time users of NINES have a long list of collected objects, so we now offer a drop-down menu that allows you to sort the list by the date the objects were collected, by title or by author. Another, faster way to pinpoint a resource is to begin typing the title into the blank next to the sort drop-down, which will filter your list of objects until you find the one you seek. Once you have filled out the necessary information, click 'Save'. You can always click on the image to return to this editing dialog as you continue to work on your exhibit. |
The image dialog
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Once the dialog closes, you will see your new section, complete with illustration. It may appear as a very small thumbnail, so click on a corner and drag to re-size it as you like. Keep in mind, however, that some NINES contributors restrict the image size they offer, so some images you use may appear pixelated and blurry when expanded beyond their original size.
You may also notice that one or both of your captions may be pre-populated with title or author information. We've designed the tool to offer users as much information about the objects as possible, but you can always click on the image to bring up the editing dialog and remove or edit the captions as you like.
You may also notice that one or both of your captions may be pre-populated with title or author information. We've designed the tool to offer users as much information about the objects as possible, but you can always click on the image to bring up the editing dialog and remove or edit the captions as you like.
Coming soon: adding internet images not in NINES