Around the Web - January 8, 2009

This week on Around the Web, I am highlighting several Web 2.0 archival projects that I found or were forwarded to me over the holidays.

Wiki

Russell James, who blogs over at Records Junkie, submitted his wiki, History of Archives, Recordkeeping, and Records. A wiki (the word, by the way, is Hawaiian for fast) is an online collaborative work space where registered (or unregistered) members contribute content and build an evolving resource on one or several topics. In most cases, the wiki's interface is similar to a Microsoft Word document or a WYSIWYG ("what-you-see-is-what-you-get) HTML editor, so the learning curve for most users is minimal. The goal of a wiki is to foster collaboration among individuals and/or experts in a field. Very useful.

Waco

A reader sent an email to the SAA listserv, which he also directed to my attention, about a project called Ashes of Waco. It is a blog about the standoff between the US Government and the Branch Davidians, an end time cult, and its tragic ending. The blog effectively provides incredible detail and insight into what took place on that event. In the project's own words:

A blog about the digitization and online presentation of archival materials in Dick J. Reavis Papers that are related to his book, The Ashes of Wace: An Investigation, about the 1993 raid, siege, and burning of the Mt. Carmel Center near Waco, Texas.

Archief 2.0 / Archives 2.0 Dutch-Style

Dutch Archivist Christian van der Ven, who has been feeding Archives*Open a steady and healthy diet of Web 2.0 ideas, projects and initiatives occurring in his native Netherlands, forwarded me information on a social networking, content aggregating, and collaborative work space called Archief 2.0 (Archives 2.0), which he and his fellow colleagues have been using to start discussions, share comments, information and thoughts on Archives 2.0.

They use a free service called Ning. One caveat, though: While the service is English, the Archief 2.0 site is in Dutch. However, even a simple scan of the site by non-Dutch readers clearly indicates that Christian and his colleagues have been building a large volume of content on a very relevant topic to readers of this blog.

Another Dutch reader, Thijs van Exel, alerted me to a preservation, digitization and access project called Images for the Future (IFTF), which is a joint venture of six participating consortium parties, among which the National Archive and Kennisland | Knowledgeland are members. The website is in Dutch and English. According to the website:

The aim of this project is to open up the wealth of 20th century audio and visual material that has been stored in the archives of the parties concerned. If nothing is done about it, this material will be lost forever. In this project the material will be restored, preserved, digitalised and made available. A total of 137.200 hours of video, 22.501 hours of film, 123.900 hours of audio and 2,9 million photos is involved.

This project is reminiscent of another on-going project by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), which is endeavouring to digitize and make accessible to the public via the Web the Board's large vault of animation, documentaries and feature films. More information on this project is available at The DIGITAL Archive, where I wrote a review of the website.

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Around the Web is a community-driven series of blog posts. It serves as a platform where archivists and others in related fields submit information about archival projects that are using Web technologies, such as Web 2.0, in innovative ways. It also servces as a platform where archivists and others express opinions and comments on Web 2.0 in the archives field. Let's generate some useful discussion. Leave a comment or send Archives*Open an email (archives.open@gmail.com)

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Around the Web - December 17, 2008

This week on Around the Web, Elizabeth Lomas, a researcher from the School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, emailed Archives*Open some interesting information about a UK based records management project that is seeking international participants, who will eventually be connected virtually, "to look at RM and wider information issues to maximise information potential for computer mediated communications, which includes email but also lots of other technologies such as Web 2.0 ones."

This is Ms. Lomas' full description of the project:

Call for virtual co-researchers

I am putting out a call for international co-researchers to take part in a co-operative action research inquiry aimed at critically evaluating how to maximise organisation's information potential for communications created through computer mediated technologies (email, Facebook, wikis - any system with dialogue potential), taking into account the impact of the individual.

The research will commence in February 2009 and will be undertaken through virtual discussions and online collaboration using a closed site set up on the web. Each participant has the power to influence the direction of the research.

The research is a UK Northumbria University records management project, although the work is looking at wider information issues in order to evaluate the research aim. There are currently 50 UK participants engaged in the research, consisting of archivists, designers, knowledge managers, psychologists, records managers and communication enthusiasts. The groups will ultimately join up virtually.

If you would like further information then please contact me. elizabeth.lomas@northumbria.ac.uk

What is of particular interest to Archives*Open is the fact that this project is seeking to build on the expertise of those in different fields of study and to have them collaborate, ultimately, in a virtual environment. Essentially, a community of researchers with different backgrounds collaborating virtually towards a common goal. I am interested in learning more about Ms. Lomas' plans to implement a virtual collaborative environment, such as the kinds of web-based tools or services.  

Since so much of what we do on the Web ultimately finds an international audience, there is merit and much wisdom is seeking collaboration internationally. We certainly have so much to share amongst ourselves.

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Around the Web is a community-driven series of blog posts. It endeavours to serve as a platform where archivists and other information professionals submit information about archival projects that are using Web 2.0, or, alternatively, where archivists and other information professionals submit opinions, comments on Web 2.0 in an archives environment. Let's generate some useful discussion threads. Please send Archives*Open your stories and opinions.

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Around the Web - December 11, 2008

This is the inaugural Around the Web weekly blog post, where I highlight Web 2.0 archival projects that the community of Archives*Open readers have submitted. Feel free to do the same by adding a comment (with your name or the name of your institution, project name, and URL) or sending the same information via email to archives.open@gmail.com.

Overall, the response to Archives*Open has been very positive.

Thank you all for your feedback.

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Around the Web - December 11, 2008

• Amanda sent in the Deseronto Archives' blog and Flickr photostream
  
  
• Dani Vaughn-Tucker, Misericordia University, sent in the Sister Mary Carmel McGarigle Archives' Flickr photostream
  

Flickr, one of the most popular photo management and photo sharing websites, which was bought by Yahoo! a few years ago, is a great place to showcase your photos without the headache of building the technical infrastructure yourself.

Besides being a really easy to use service (there is a free and a paid version), Flickr enables users to add notes to pictures (identify people in pictures), tag pictures with metadata (folksonomy), and comment. Build communities and connect with others who share in your photographic interests.

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