How to use the Narratives module

Of all the EMu modules, the Narratives module has been perhaps least understood and most underutilised. Several possible explanations suggest themselves.

One is that the Narratives module was ahead of its time when it was introduced soon after EMu's release.

EMu modules, in general, collect and organise data: the Narratives module, on the other hand, exploits data, creating information which can be presented to others within an organisation and, via the web, to the world. Demand for this requirement is really only now meeting supply.

Collections data management - the organisation and enhancement of collections data - is naturally also the first objective of any institution adopting EMu as its collections management system. Typically it is only when the data is in shape that an institution seriously begins to consider how that data can be exploited, although that too is changing and these days it's a pre-requisite that a collections management system is able to present the collection to the world.

And this is where the Narratives module comes into its own, and why, as institutions are looking at ways to make their collections available online, interest in this tool is growing.

That is part of the reason why the Narratives module has been underutilised. Another possibility is its considerable versatility and flexibility, qualities that are the source of great potential, and perhaps also the source of some confusion. This document seeks to address that issue by describing many of the uses of the Narratives module.

As we'll see, the Narratives module is perhaps most powerful as the public face of your collection: as the content management tool for a website that presents a collection to the world. But this is by no means its only function. Others include:

• Labels for exhibits.
• Textual descriptions for brochures and programs.
• Miscellaneous internal (non-public) information management, e.g. a record of conversations held or correspondence sent and received.
• Providing researchers (specialist and private or public) with purpose-made (tailored) material.

The Narratives module brings together related and diverse information about a particular object, collection of objects or subject, linking a collection in significant ways. As with EMu's Catalogue, which is surrounded by a suite of modules, the Narratives module draws data from a range of satellite modules. Depending on the nature of a collection (Natural History vs Cultural History, for instance) a narrative record can draw data from the Parties, Bibliography, Events, Collection Events, Taxonomy and Sites modules:

The Narratives module records stories about the collections from item level to collection groupings and a multitude of other collections related angles. It helps structure these stories for different types of publication, including delivery to the web. It stores historically significant, general or even ephemeral information gathered about the collections. In short, the Narratives module is designed to hold any interpretative information about a collection, as well as references to all of the resources (EMu and non-EMu) used to author it.

However, the versatility and flexibility of the Narratives module are not limited to its uses. As we'll see, even when it comes to presenting a collection online, there are several ways to achieve this end, each with its advantages.