Jekyll2024-02-27T12:17:26-05:00https://info.omeka.net//Omeka.netA hosted service for Omeka, web publishing software for cultural institutions.
Social Bookmarking Updates2023-05-18T00:00:00-04:002023-05-18T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2023/05/social-bookmarking-updates<p>Due to the <a href="https://www.addthis.com/">planned shutdown of AddThis</a>, we have changed the Social Bookmarking plugin to no longer rely on the service. The new plugin will offer the following share options:</p>
<ul>
<li>Twitter</li>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Tumblr</li>
<li>Email</li>
</ul>Omeka.net TeamDue to the planned shutdown of AddThis, we have changed the Social Bookmarking plugin to no longer rely on the service. The new plugin will offer the following share options:New and Updated Plugins and a New Theme2023-04-05T00:00:00-04:002023-04-05T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2023/03/new-and-updated-plugins<p>We have exciting news for Omeka.net users this spring. Paid users now have access to a big batch of new plugins, as well as a new theme! Several other plugins have also been updated to offer great new features.</p>
<h2 id="updated-plugins">Updated Plugins</h2>
<p><strong>Exhibit Builder</strong>—The Exhibit Builder plugin has been updated with a new block: Carousel. You can now add a carousel of files to any exhibit page.</p>
<p><strong>Google Analytics</strong>—The Google Analytics plugin has been updated with a setting that that can be turned on to allow visitors to your site to opt in or out of tracking. Useful for users who need GDPR compliance, or something similar, for their site</p>
<h2 id="new-plugins">New Plugins</h2>
<p><strong>Collection Tree</strong>—The Collection Tree plugin allows Omeka.net sites to have nested collections. This plugin is available at the Plus level and higher.</p>
<p><strong>Embed Codes</strong>—The Embed Codes plugin enables you to share individual Omeka items as an iframe in other webpages and blogs, including Wordpress installations and Omeka Simple Pages. This plugin is available at the the Silver level and higher.</p>
<p><strong>File Paginator</strong>—The File Paginator plugin allows users to page through files on an item page. This plugin is available at the Plus level and higher.</p>
<p><strong>PBCore</strong>—The PB Core plugin adds elements from the PBCore Metadata standard to your Omeka site. This plugin is available at the Silver level and higher.</p>
<p><strong>Redact Elements</strong>—The Redact Elements plugin allows enabled users of an Omeka.net install to redact specific character sequences in a given element field in Omeka. This plugin is available at the Silver level and higher.</p>
<p><strong>Timeline</strong>—The Timeline plugin allows you to add items to a timeline in your Omeka.net site. This plugin is available at the Silver level or higher.</p>
<p><strong>VRA Core</strong>—The VRA Core plugin for Omeka.net adds elements from the VRA Core Metadata standard to your Omeka site, which can be used to describe items and collections on your site. This plugin is available at the Silver level or higher.</p>
<p>Please check our <a href="/build-a-website/manage-plugins">documentation</a> for more information on these plugins.</p>
<h2 id="new-theme">New Theme</h2>
<p><strong>Foundation</strong>—The Foundation theme is based on ZURB Foundation Sites. This is a really great, responsive theme that comes with a default stylesheet as well as 3 other style options. This is available at the Plus level and higher.</p>Omeka.net TeamWe have exciting news for Omeka.net users this spring. Paid users now have access to a big batch of new plugins, as well as a new theme! Several other plugins have also been updated to offer great new features.A New Admin Look Arrives2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:002021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2021/09/a-new-admin-look-arrives<p>Since its launch in 2008, Omeka Classic has only had one major interface overhaul which came with the version 2.0 release in 2013. <img src="/images/omeka1dashboard.png" alt="Omeka Classic 1.0 Dashboard image." class="alignright" /> At that time we continued the basic color scheme of earth tones, but now we’ve moved in the direction that echoes the branding for Omeka Classic and Omeka.net.</p>
<p>Under the direction of Omeka’s lead designer, Kim Nguyen, we have been hard at work for many months to bring you today’s release of <a href="https://omeka.org/classic/download/">Omeka Classic 3.0</a>. This version of the platform sports a completely redesigned administrative interface. The software retains all the functionality that you and hundreds of thousands of other users have come to know and love over the years, while also maintaining and extending our commitment to responsiveness and accessibility.</p>
<p><img src="/images/dashboard.png" alt=""Omeka Classic 3.0 Dashboard image"" /></p>
<p>For this release, every administrative view of the core has been updated with a fresh new theme. We had a crucial assist in this base work from our friend <a href="http://www.mtedeschi.com/">Michael Tedeschi</a>, who did the first pass at the design. Then, Kim undertook the massive task of tweaking and applying those styles to the full range of views and elements across the platform. Each plugin had to be reviewed, restyled, tested, and retested across browsers and devices. When we were satisfied with the implementation, we turned our attention to updating the <a href="https://info.omeka.net/help/">documentation</a>, which included a review of dozens of pages and the replacement of all the screenshots. (Big shout out to Katherine Knowles for the heavy lifting here!)</p>
<p>Ken Albers and John Flatness managed the deployment of the new versions of the core, plugins, and the documentation, providing seamless service to you, the more 80,000 users who work with <a href="https://omeka.net/">Omeka.net</a>.</p>
<p>We hope you enjoy the new look, and as always, we’re eager to hear from you about your work!</p>Omeka.net TeamSince its launch in 2008, Omeka Classic has only had one major interface overhaul which came with the version 2.0 release in 2013. At that time we continued the basic color scheme of earth tones, but now we’ve moved in the direction that echoes the branding for Omeka Classic and Omeka.net.New Admin Theme!2021-09-14T00:00:00-04:002021-09-14T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2021/09/new-admin-theme<p>We’re excited to announce that next week we will launch a redesign of the Omeka.net admin theme!</p>
<p>Don’t worry—this will not change any of your content, your public facing sites, or the functionality of the software. Your data and your sites will remain exactly the same as before. However, you will now have a new, more modern interface to work in.</p>
<p>All of our documentation will be updated to reflect the new look, and hopefully it will be a seamless transition for all.</p>
<p>Look for more improvements to the site and the Omeka.net experience in the near future as well.</p>Omeka.net TeamWe’re excited to announce that next week we will launch a redesign of the Omeka.net admin theme!2020 Year in Review2020-12-17T00:00:00-05:002020-12-17T00:00:00-05:00https://info.omeka.net/2020/12/year-in-review<p>Over the past year, we have made a number of updates and upgrades to Omeka.net that we think have improved your user experience. Many of these updates were driven by comments and suggestions from you, and we are thankful to have such engaged and insightful users.</p>
<p>The Omeka.net system is now running on Omeka Classic 2.7.1. This version upgrade addressed a number of small bugs and improved internationalization in a number of languages. Also, the software now has improved support for rich text in Dublin Core Titles. You can use italics, boldface, underline, and links when entering titles for items, collections, and files. Furthermore, themes now support alt tags for header images.</p>
<p>Throughout the year, we also made upgrades to key plugins. Notably, the Omeka Dev Team reworked the Geolocation plugin to use OpenStreetMap instead of Google Maps, in response to Google Maps moving to a paid model. We also made a big update to the Google Analytics plugin to support the newest analytics tag. Finally, we have added support for embeds from a number of new web services (Review the full list <a href="https://info.omeka.net/build-a-website/use-the-html-editor/">here</a>).</p>
<p>Early in 2021, you can look forward to a newly refreshed administrative theme for the core Omeka application and an array of other enhancements.</p>
<p>We appreciate your dedicated use of Omeka.net and are looking forward to continuing to improve your experience with the system in 2021.</p>Omeka.net TeamOver the past year, we have made a number of updates and upgrades to Omeka.net that we think have improved your user experience. Many of these updates were driven by comments and suggestions from you, and we are thankful to have such engaged and insightful users.Down for Maintenance2019-02-06T00:00:00-05:002019-02-06T00:00:00-05:00https://info.omeka.net/2019/02/down-for-maintenance<p>It’s time for us to upgrade our servers. Omeka.net will be down for routine maintenance on Saturday, February 9, beginning at 9PM EST. We thank you for your patience.</p>Ken AlbersIt’s time for us to upgrade our servers. Omeka.net will be down for routine maintenance on Saturday, February 9, beginning at 9PM EST. We thank you for your patience.Refreshed and Renewed2017-08-28T00:00:00-04:002017-08-28T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2017/08/refreshed-and-renewed<p>Today marks the launch of a new look for Omeka.net, and many new benefits for users. Now is the time to sign up for an account to take advantage of our new pricing structure, enhanced functionality options, and additional storage.</p>
<p>We’ve reduced the prices for our most popular plans:</p>
<ul>
<li>Plus Plan is now $35 a year</li>
<li>Silver Plan is now $75 a year</li>
</ul>
<p>Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans now include a number of new plugins that include <a href="/build-a-website/manage-plugins/text-annotation/">text</a> and <a href="/build-a-website/manage-plugins/exhibit-image-annotation/">image</a> annotation, and a way to provide <a href="/build-a-website/manage-plugins/editorial/">editorial feedback</a> on online exhibit drafts, and themes designed specifically to support image-centered work.</p>
<p>Finally, all plans now include twice as much storage as before.</p>
<p>Omeka.net offers a range of plans to fill many web publishing needs. A tour through our <a href="/showcase/">Showcase</a> offers examples of the ways that Omeka.net users are making the most of the platform. Explore the sites that have similar project goals, such as collecting user contributions, and discover which plan will let you develop your project with the features you need.</p>
<p>Once you’re ready to sign up for an account or to upgrade to a new plan, we have created an <a href="https://omeka.net/signup/">easy plan comparison page</a> to help you find the right solution for your web publishing needs. Choose from up to eight options of site features, such as “collect user submissions,” “Display data on maps,” or “Annotate text or images,” and click “Show me my plan” to find the best fit for your project.</p>
<p><img src="/images/showcase_redesign.png" alt="The new showcase page, with four sites featured: Big Stuff, Stark & Subtle Divisions, Appalachian Dulcimer Archive, and Hermoupolis Digital Heritage Management" /></p>
<p>The next step is to get started building your site with Omeka.net, and we <a href="/help/">provide a set of easy-to-use instructions</a> for planning, building, and launching a website.</p>
<p>Sign-up or upgrade today!</p>Sharon LeonToday marks the launch of a new look for Omeka.net, and many new benefits for users. Now is the time to sign up for an account to take advantage of our new pricing structure, enhanced functionality options, and additional storage.Coming Soon: More Plugins, Themes, Storage2017-08-04T00:00:00-04:002017-08-04T00:00:00-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2017/08/coming-soon-more-plugins-themes-storage<p>We’re happy to share some upcoming improvements and changes to Omeka.net!</p>
<p>Our website, including Help pages, and account dashboards are getting a fresh new look. We’re adding new plugins and themes, and updating the features included in existing plans. We’ve revamped the Showcase to not only highlight sites using Omeka.net but also help visitors learn more about them - for example, explaining which plan and plugins each site is using. Changes to the Help section should make it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Soon, subscribers at the Silver level and above will now have access to the Search by Metadata and Item Relations plugins.</p>
<p>We are adding three new plugins to the Gold and Platinum plans:</p>
<ul>
<li>Editorial, which allows private feedback and discussion on exhibit pages</li>
<li>Exhibit Image Annotation, which lets users create publicly visible annotations on exhibit file blocks</li>
<li>Text Annotation, which allows users to annotate text on the public and admin sides of an Omeka.net site</li>
</ul>
<p>Users with Gold and Platinum plans will get three new themes: The Daily, Big Picture, and Center Row. These themes will appeal to art historians, artists, and anyone who wants images to be the main focus of their Omeka.net site.</p>
<p>Since we launched Omeka.net in 2010, we have not raised our prices, even as the landscape for hosted web publishing solutions has changed over time. To reflect the addition of new plugins and themes, we are making some adjustments to plan prices and storage level:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Plan</strong></th>
<th>Trial</th>
<th>Plus</th>
<th>Silver</th>
<th>Gold</th>
<th>Platinum</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Price</strong></td>
<td>free</td>
<td>$35/year</td>
<td>$75/year</td>
<td>$350/year</td>
<td>$1,000/year</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Storage</strong></td>
<td>500 MB</td>
<td>2 GB</td>
<td>5 GB</td>
<td>10 GB</td>
<td>50 GB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Sites</strong></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>unlimited</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><em>The Trial plan replaces the Basic plan for new users. The Trial plan will offer fewer features than the Basic plan. However, all current Basic users will maintain access to the plugins and themes they currently enjoy. New prices will only take effect upon renewal for existing customers.</em></p>
<p>These changes will take place by the end of the summer - keep an eye out for an announcement of the all-new look and revised plans!</p>
<p>(There are no special rates, but we are happy to discuss custom storage, support, and hosting plans.)</p>Sharon LeonWe’re happy to share some upcoming improvements and changes to Omeka.net!Site Highlight: Hermoupolis Digital Heritage Management (HERMES) Wins Europa Nostra Award2016-07-12T07:00:56-04:002016-07-12T07:00:56-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2016/07/site-highlight-hermoupolis-digital-heritage-management-hermes-wins-europa-nostra-award<p>Recently, an Omeka.net site, <a href="http://hermoupolis.omeka.net/">Hermoupolis Digital Heritage Management</a>, won the most prestigious European Union Prize on Cultural Heritage, the <a href="http://www.europanostra.org/awards/166/">Europa Nostra Award</a>, in Digitalisation and Research.</p>
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<p>From the site itself:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>HERMES (HERitage Management E System) is a Digital Heritage Collection of Historic Buildings. It is the result of an 8 year research conducted by National Technical University of Athens and Municipality of Hermoupolis. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the vulnerability of historic buildings and propose a decision-making model ranking the need of intervention in a historic building stock.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We are excited Omeka.net was able to provide the framework for this interesting and important project. Congratulations!</p>Ken AlbersRecently, an Omeka.net site, Hermoupolis Digital Heritage Management, won the most prestigious European Union Prize on Cultural Heritage, the Europa Nostra Award, in Digitalisation and Research.Site Highlight: Stark and Subtle Divisions2016-03-31T09:30:07-04:002016-03-31T09:30:07-04:00https://info.omeka.net/2016/03/site-highlight-stark-and-subtle-divisions<div id="attachment_3036" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft">
<a href="#" data-featherlight="/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/me-w-Radcliffe-swimsuit.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-3036" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/me-w-Radcliffe-swimsuit-150x150.jpg" alt="Dr Morgan seated at a desk holding a vintage swimsuit." width="150" height="150" /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text">
Marilyn Morgan
</p>
</div>
<p>Archivist, historian, educator, and baker of all things chocolate, Marilyn Morgan (<a href="https://twitter.com/mare_morgan">@mare_morgan</a>), investigates—and encourages students to explore—social trends, cultural stereotypes, and discrimination throughout American history. Her class site, <a href="https://bosdesca.omeka.net/">Stark & Subtle Divisions: A Collaborative History of Segregation in Boston</a>, showcases letters, photographs, legal documents, artifacts, and interviews that explore the federally-mandated desegregation of Boston public schools. Unearthing materials from various Boston-area archives, students selected a representative sampling and used Omeka.net to present them together in new collaborative context. The site runs on an Omeka.net <a href="http://info.omeka.net/signup/">Platinum</a> plan</p>
<h3 id="1-briefly-explain-how-you-came-to-the-project">1. Briefly explain how you came to the project.</h3>
<p>Last year, I became the Director of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gradstudieshistoryumb/">Archives Program (History MA) at UMass Boston</a> and created a new course “Transforming Archives and History in a Digital Age.” My goals for this course involved having students: conduct primary research in local collections, select and scan materials, create metadata for digitized items, build a collaborative digital archive, develop subject-area expertise, and design an online exhibit. Because I teach history and archives, I focused the class on a historical topic—the desegregation of Boston Public Schools (BPS). Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the federally-mandated integration of BPS; various separate archives in the area hold collections that document that complex history.</p>
<p>As I was developing my course, Giordana Mecagni, Head of <a href="https://library.northeastern.edu/archives-special-collections">Archives and Special Collections at Northeastern University</a> initiated a comprehensive cross-institutional scanning project to make archival materials related to the desegregation of BPS available in a large digital library. <a href="https://blc.org/">Boston Library Consortium</a> funded the project that is supported by the technical infrastructure of the <a href="http://dp.la/">DPLA</a> and <a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/">Digital Commonwealth</a>. This year, work my students are completing for their Omeka site—scanning and creating metadata for <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/archivesandrecords/">Boston City Archives</a>—is feeding into the larger BLC initiative.</p>
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<h3 id="2-why-did-you-decide-to-build-on-omekanet-as-opposed-to-a-standalone-omeka-site-or-some-other-platform">2. Why did you decide to build on Omeka.net, as opposed to a standalone Omeka site or some other platform?</h3>
<p>Omeka provides a wonderful teaching tool for archivists and historians. It gives students hands-on experience implementing archival theory; it permits them to showcase historical research; and, ultimately, it enables them to create digital history for a public audience.</p>
<p>Before I created my course, I searched for platforms that would meet my teaching goals. I wanted students to learn technical skills and acquire hands-on experience implementing practices used by digital archivists. But I also wanted students to immerse themselves in scholarly historical research and to create engaging and educational exhibits for a general audience. There aren’t many platforms that allow one to accomplish all of that.</p>
<p>While other exhibit-building platforms exist, Omeka allows students to create a digital archive from start to finish. This entails selecting and scanning documents then creating metadata for digitized images. That back-end work teaches essential technical skills that aspiring archivists and digital historians need to hone. Equally important, when constructing Omeka exhibits, students must think critically about the items collectively and weave together narratives that form cohesive exhibits.</p>
<p>To be honest, circumstances beyond my control affected my decision to use Omeka.net instead of creating a standalone site. My university did not have the technical infrastructure to support the standalone Omeka site. With Omeka.net there’s no need to have IT support or server space. I was pleased to discover that Omeka.net doesn’t limit one’s creativity in building a site.</p>
<h3 id="3-what-piece-of-advice-would-you-offer-to-someone-planning-to-use-omekanet-with-a-class-of-graduate-students">3. What piece of advice would you offer to someone planning to use Omeka.net with a class of graduate students?</h3>
<p>Build in plenty of time to learn and experiment, don’t be afraid to take risks, collaborate, and don’t get discouraged!</p>
<p>When I decided to use Omeka.net in my course, I had absolutely zero experience using the platform. I confessed to my students in the first class that I had no idea if we’d be able to build the robust site we envisioned; but, even if we failed, we would have learned a great deal. I encouraged them not to obsess over individual grades and to approach this as a truly collaborative project—by the nature of the project, either we all succeeded or we all failed, to some degree.</p>
<p>Collaboration proved key to building a successful site in many ways. I’d advise anyone beginning to teach with Omeka to identify local resources—both people and collections at local archives or libraries—that you can incorporate into your site’s construction. When beginning this project, I blindly reached out to Marta Crilly, Archivist for Reference and Outreach at <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/archivesandrecords/">Boston City Archives</a>—I knew they housed ample material related to our topic. Over the past year and a half, Marta and I developed a mutually beneficial collaboration. I reached out to librarians, archivists, an audio engineer, and even a copyright attorney, at local institutions; the input of each helped me to create a robust site.</p>
<h3 id="4-how-did-using-omeka-change-your-andor-your-students-thinking-about-the-content">4. How did using Omeka change your and/or your students’ thinking about the content?</h3>
<p>Our project’s topic—de facto segregation and the federally-mandated desegregation of Boston Public Schools—provoked deep controversy in Boston. In the mid-1970s, the issue of desegregation provoked violent confrontations and pitted white neighborhood against black neighborhood. Over forty years later, the topic continues to ignite heated reactions locally.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was learning that the heated reactions to desegregation of Boston Public Schools reached far beyond Boston. Using Omeka’s map tool, students could demonstrate that individuals from around the nation and the globe watched the media report on this issue. In the sampling of letters students selected, they discussed letters sent from as far away as Mexico, Germany, and Australia.</p>
<p>Using Omeka, I realized quickly that creating an interactive digital exhibit on this controversial topic posed unique challenges that writing a traditional paper did not. If we proceeded incorrectly, instead of educating, we could provoke anger or alienate.</p>
<p>Many complex circumstances surrounded the intense reactions to desegregation including racism, class disparity, ethnic antagonism, political maneuverings, and contests for authority between local, state and federal agencies. As students dug into the archives and shaped exhibits in Omeka, we learned that race alone could not predict whether one supported or opposed desegregation of BPS. For instance, violent opposition to the decision to desegregate schools didn’t necessarily indicate opposition to school integration. Some citizens (black and white) championed school integration but vehemently protested the plan’s implementation—“forced busing” of their young children to schools far away from their neighborhoods.</p>
<p>Omeka helps us to convey the complexity of this emotionally-charged issue by showcasing the documents individually and allowing us to group them collectively to tell a narrative. In this way, exhibits can capture the raw fears, violence, and racist behaviors alongside of the hopefulness, compassion, and peaceful approaches.</p>
<h3 id="5-what-is-one-of-your-favorite-items-from-the-site-to-share-when-talking-about-it">5. What is one of your favorite items from the site to share (when talking about it)?</h3>
<p>Letters written by third and sixth grade students to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_White_%28mayor%29">Mayor Kevin H. White</a> constitute my favorite group of items. Some of the young letter-writers expressed fears while others boldly proposed nonviolent solutions to school integration. While it’s difficult to pick one favorite, the letter below stands within my top three.</p>
<p><a href="https://bosdesca.omeka.net/items/show/30">Writing on colorful stationary</a>, the eleven-year-old student poignantly pleads that the mayor bus the teachers, not the students, “then maybe there wouldn’t be anymore stabbings and fights.”</p>
<p><a href="https://bosdesca.omeka.net/items/show/30"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-3035" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/starksubtle2-150x150.png" alt="starksubtle2" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p>The letter below, <a href="https://bosdesca.omeka.net/items/show/194">written by a third-grade student</a>, writes “this is what I want” above a crayon drawing of a white child and a black child shaking hands.</p>
<p><a href="https://bosdesca.omeka.net/items/show/194"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-3034 size-thumbnail" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/starksubtle3-150x150.jpg" alt="starksubtle3" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p>Omeka makes it possible to view the handwritten letters—complete with misspellings and mistakes—and freehand drawings that children used to convey sentiments more clearly than words. These personal details add immeasurably to the content of the letters. They also convey the extent to which concerns about desegregation of BPS permeated the physical and emotional well-being of many Boston’s residents—even children.</p>
<h3 id="6-what-is-the-benefit-to-using-omeka-as-a-teaching-tool">6. What is the benefit to using Omeka as a teaching tool?</h3>
<p>Traditional research papers function as a dialogue between student and professor; creating a project in Omeka expands the discourse and fosters a collaborative working environment. The tasks of learning new technology, conducting historical research, applying archival theory, acquiring subject-area expertise, clearing permissions, and presenting findings in a public forum can be overwhelming when undertaken by one individual. As a result, when using Omeka, students quickly learn to actively collaborate with one another, sharing discoveries that might benefit a classmate’s exhibit or teaching technical tips. I’m so pleased that my decision to teach with Omeka allows graduate students to simultaneously learn new skills, apply theory to practice, and contribute to public education in a practical way.</p>Megan BrettMarilyn Morgan