Getting your stuff on the web

Getting your stuff on the web


• Digitization of your collections• Web 2.0• Great Rivers Network• MHS’s Newest Digitized Collections• What you can do now


• Digitization of your collections– Convert images, text or sound to a digital

form• Scanning a photo or document• Database of cemetery index

– Why?• Make a copy

– Preservation of original

• Make it easier to access


• Web 2.0– information sharing is 2-way– second-generation of Internet-based

services• social networking sites• wikis• communication tools• folksonomies, tags


• Great Rivers Network

“With the support of the Bush Foundation, the Minnesota Historical Society proposes to become the digital content and service center for the cultural heritage of the Upper Midwest … To achieve this transformation, the Society requests a grant of $1 million, over the course of three years.”


• Goals of the Great Rivers Network– Transform access to collections– Encourage the sharing of information

• within MHS• with other institutions and organizations• with our users

– Become consultants for other organizations• Technology• Digitization of collections


Part I: OUR STUFF

Digital Resources at the Minnesota Historical Society

o Education/Exhibit Projects – consolidated resources in mediated capacity (ex. True North, Duluth Lynchings)

o Open search engines – independent databases intended for open search (ex. Library catalog, Photo and Art database)

o User-generated content – web environment where users can upload their own historic content and comments (ex. Placeography, MGG Share Your Story)

o Online catalogo Art and photo databaseo Birth and death recordso Maps

MHS Digital Search Engines

Existing Resources, Different Audiences

Great Rivers Network

“Google”izing the search for historic digital resources

Great Rivers Network

Results are opened in their native interface

o A beta version is to be released soon

Education Tool: True North

o Prime example of collaborative projecto Similar to and Different from Great Rivers Network

Aerial PhotosTopographic Maps

GIS Data Archival MapsHistoric Images

Minnesota’s digital map resources consolidated

Census Data


ROAD MAPS: Minn.Dept of Transportation

LAND USE MAPS Dept. of Natural Resources

ETHNICITY MAPS www.census.govPEOPLE MAPS

MSP Public Library, MHS

HISTORY MAPS MN Historical Society

BACKGROUND MAPS Land Management Information Center

Layered on top of the other…


With lesson plans and a single user-interface


Aerial PhotographsLand Use, 1969, 2002State ParksEcological ProvincesShaded ReliefBedrock GeologyMorainesSoil FertilityEpidemicsWatershedsWell DepthFur Trade Posts Wheat, 1879 and 2006POW Camps

Solar Power Potential Wild Rice BedsMineral ResourcesRailroad, pre-1930Streetcar RoutesBike Paths, 1899Territorial RoadsSwedish AncestryHispanic/Latino PopulationPercent Below PovertyOjibwe MigrationGrasshopper PlaguesAverage Commuting TimeAnnual Rainfall by Decade


Example Maps

Geo-rectified Archival Maps


Integrated with GIS Spatial Data


Navigation/Search Tools


Edit Color and Transparency


Maps Linked to Historic Resources


User Generated Content: MGG Share Your Story

First-person memories about Minnesota’s Greatest Generation

Share Learn

My Minnesota

Flickr badge

User Generated Content: Placeography

Place-oriented Wikipedia for public sharing and viewing

Contribute

Educate

User Generated Content: Placeography

MHS-created Portals for your area

Part II: YOUR STUFF

Getting your collections digitized and out there!

Difficulties

Small museums and historical societies may face hurdles:

o Limited Staff/volunteer timeo Limited technical knowledge/trainingo Limited fundso Uncertainty about the process

Review existing Content, Audience, Technical Capacity

STEP 1

Ask Simply:To Digitize or Not to Digitize?

STEP 2

Not Ready to Digitize? Consider other options…

STEP 3-a

o You are not alone.o Consider partnering. For example, with MN Digital Library,

Placeography, My Minnesotao This is the beginning, not the end.

**See handout for more info

Digitizing? Select Content and Format

STEP 3-b

o Posters, maps, photos, manuscripts, indexes, etc…

Clearly understand Audience and End Use

STEP 4

o For exhibit, download, research, sale, etc?o Pertinent to genealogists, students, researchers?o Consider search and ‘findability’

Choose Content Management Software

STEP 5

o We recommend Past Perfect or Content DMo For future possible integration with GRN search


Document your Collection

STEP 6

o Exciting AND important!o Why…??

Metadata: how users find your content

Example

o Black and White Photo

T.W. Ingersoll in a horse drawn carriage, St. PaulPhotograph Collection ca. 1895 Location no. HE2.2 p101

o Black and White Photo of Horse drawn Carriage

Children standing by a horse drawn carriage.Photographer: John Runk (1878-1964) Photograph Collection 5/8/1935 Location no. Runk 2606 Negative no. Runk2606

o Black and White Photo of Horse drawn Carriage, 1935

Decorated and horse-drawn carriage with riders, Stillwater.Photographer: John Runk (1878-1964) Photograph Collection 10/11/1935 Location no. Runk 1083

o Black and White Photo of Horse drawn Carriage, 1935, Stillwater, MN.

You can’t possibly do and see everything.

Example

Decorated and horse-drawn carriage with riders, Stillwater.Photographer: John Runk (1878-1964) Photograph Collection 10/11/1935 Location no. Runk 1083

Jacob Hoffman, shoddy miller and grandfather of Nancy Hoffman

Lumberjack Days Parade Decoration

Cobblestones, removed 1968 after big storm and flooding

The next step? Web 2.0 and Social tagging

Example

The next step? Web 2.0 and Social tagging

Example

Stillwater Parade, 1935

Decorated and horse-drawn carriage with riders, Stillwater. Photographer: John Runk (1878-1964)

Minnesota County Historical Society Photograph Collection 10/11/1935 Location no. Runk 1083

Jacob HoffmanShoddy MillerLumberjack DaysCobblestonesFlag PoleSitting on his Lap


Until then, work to get your collections online

Step 7

o PastPerfect Plug-ino Content DM through MnDigital Librarieso Omekao Your own development


• What to do now (a technology bent)• Start using Web 2.0

– http://del.icio.us/kelly033/localhistorywrkshp– http://www.commoncraft.com


• Use some of the tools out there – Placeography - a wiki about places– My Minnesota – share what makes it

Minnesota– Flickr badges – share photos– Del.icio.us – create an account and start

sharing tags– Participate in the MN Local History Blog