Packaging Packaging Information for Information for

CurriculaCurricula

Packaging Packaging Information for Information for

CurriculaCurricula

Digital Exhibits to Support Digital Exhibits to Support Curriculum in Local HistoryCurriculum in Local History

Presented byBarbara Britton

Creating a digital exhibit

• basic steps• our experience

Team effort: our team • Donna Marentette, Director of Technology and Development, Windsor Public

Library• Jean Foster, Supervisor of Electronic Services, Windsor Public Library• Brian Worrell, Director of Communications, Windsor Public Library• Project Co-ordinator and Researcher – Barbara Britton, Librarian, Windsor Public

Library• Digitization Co-ordinator and Web Site Designer – Corinne Despierre-Corporon,

Web Designer, Windsor Public Library• Flash Programming & Maps – M. J. Gardner, Flash Animator, Windsor Public Library• Database Programming – Shobha Iyer, Programmer, Windsor Public Library• Photography – Josie Hazen, Graphic Designer, Windsor Public Library• Research Assistant – Neil Helmer• Digitization Assistant – Shari Menear• Animation Co-ordinator – Jason Barrera• Game Designers – John Charette & Jacob Duhaime• Animators – Roy Santos & Simon Warwick• Educational Consultant – Melissa Cavallin • Translation – Nadine Chrisodoulos; Colleen Leclerc

Partnerships are vital

Our Partners:• Windsor’s Community Museum / Heather Butt • Chatham Cultural Centre / Dave Benson / {Chatham-Kent

Museum}• Fort Malden National Historic Site / Ellen LaBute; John

MacLeod• Project H.M.S. Detroit / Vicky Bondy• Al McGregor Communications• Nin.da.waab.jig: Walpole Island Heritage Centre / David White• Windsor’s Wood Carving Museum• St. Clair College / Tradigital Animation Department• Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board / Diane Bedard• Greater Essex County District School Board / Doug Peterson• Canadian Broadcasting Centre

Basic Steps• the idea• working with the idea• finding funding• content creation• user testing• translation• launching• tracking usage

The Idea

• What do we have to offer that is unique?

Working with the idea

– has this been done before?– advantages/disadvantages– estimating a timeline– estimating expenses– estimating staffing

requirements

Has this been done before?

• Can we do this better than anyone else?

• Administrative and partners’ support • Get a clear picture of exactly what

will be creating

Advantages/Disadvantages

• Is it an advantage to have this information digitally?

• Are there disadvantages?

Creating a timeline

• Leave lots of time

Production Plan version 2.1 revised

Date Subject Matter Web Architecture

Week of Sept 16 Determine the first topicsCo-coordinator beginsResearcher/writer begins

Digitizer/web designer beginsFirst consultations on web design

Week of Sept 30 Digitization beginsContent creation and copyright checking begins

Animators begin

Game developers

begins

Oct 5/6 Video shooting (Chatham)

Production Plan version 2.1 revised

Date Subject Matter Web Architecture

Oct. 15 Visit to H.M.S. Detroit

Oct. 16 Research assistant begins

Oct. 17 Visit to Chatham-Kent Museum

Oct 31Meeting

Check on progress of content creation

Writing and digitization

half done

Web design concept

finalized

Estimating expenses

• Plan for the unexpected

Staffing requirements:Skills needed

• Project coordination• Researching• Writing• Web site designing• Computer programming (HTML; Flash;

Database)• Graphic design• Photography• Digitizing• Animating• Game designing• Educational consultant• Translating

Finding funding

– grants (Canadian Culture Online)

– other funding

Content creation – research and writing– partnerships– pictures & copyright issues– lesson plans– games, quizzes & other learning

material– putting it all together

Research and writing • finding experts• getting it to the right level• who is the audience?

Partnerships are vital

• Give multiplicity of content:– Artifacts– Plans– Pictures– Animations– Video clips– Sound clips

Copyright issues

Lesson plans

• Hire a teacher to get it right

Games, quizzes & other learning material

• Need interaction• Want to make it fun

Putting it all together:

• Settling Canada’s South: How Windsor was Made www.windsorpubliclibrary.com/digi/chi/

• War of 1812 in the Western District www.windsorpubliclibrary.com/digi/war1812/index.htm

User testing

Partnering with the school boards: getting schools involved

Translation

Launching • Publicity and promotion• Getting listed on search engines

Tracking Usage

Final thoughts • Need to spend time at beginning

getting it right (timeline; budget; staffing requirements)

• Find the right people to work on the project (enthusiasm and knowledge)

• Partnerships are vital• Have fun!