Planning and Developing Online Exhibits Katiana M. Bagué George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida April 5, 2018

Steps Explore University of Florida (UF)’s collection and select a series of items Are the items digitized? If not, go through the digitization process Figure out the topic/thesis for your exhibit (What is significant about the items you have chosen? What story do you want to tell?) Research the items/topic Create an outline/plan for you exhibit (Set up a draft using PowerPoint, a word document, excel sheet, etc.) Write up labels (introduction, ID labels, content labels, closing statement) Select an online tool to showcase your exhibit (Omeka, Abobe Muse, Timeline JS, etc.) Begin constructing the exhibit using the online tool Publish

Exploring UF’s Collection There are several points of access for UF’s collection and select items of interest. Examples below: University of Florida’s Digital Collection (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/) Digital Library of the Caribbean (http://www.dloc.com/dloc1) University of Florida’s Library Catalog (http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/) University of Florida’s Finding Aids (http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/sascfas.htm)

Selecting Items of Interest After exploring UF’s collection, select items you find of interest and discern whether there is a specific pattern or theme. This pattern or theme could be a potential exhibit topic. While selecting the items for your exhibit, take note of each item’s descriptive features or metadata (Title, Date, Creator, Location/ Source Institution, Medium, Call Number, Name of Collection, etc.) Are the items digitized? If not, go through the digitization process. Scan items and convert them to the appropriate media files. (Note: consult the librarian in charge to seek assistance and permission to digitize UF items and to create metadata )

Develop an Exhibit Topic or Thesis What is significant about the items you have chosen? What story do you want to tell? Make your topic/thesis innovative and engaging. Have audiences visualize or think about something from a different perspective. Don’t be afraid of addressing an issue or challenging your audiences. Write it out (200-500 words) Consult topic/thesis with the librarian in charge, colleagues and exhibits coordinator. Be open to suggestions.

Research Selected Items and Topic Utilize the library and its resources: University of Florida’s Library Catalog (http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/) UF OneSearch Online databases and journals available through UF (example: JSTOR)

Create a Plan or Outline for your Exhibit Create a rough draft for your exhibit using Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc. (Suggested: PowerPoint) Your draft should have item images and the labels accompanying them. This will help to better visualize your exhibit and provide an easy transfer to when your are ready to construct using an online tool or software.

Samples of Online Exhibit Drafts Children Book Description Themes UF Digital Items Context   Daniel José Older's 'Shadowshaper Afro-Boricua mural artist Sierra Santiago discovers she has the ability to infuse art with ancestral spirits, an ability called shadowshaping. In the midst of her gentrifying community in Brooklyn, Sierra has to master shadowshaping and defeat an enigmatic being using powers similar to hers to hunt other shadowshapers. This book has teen romance, mysterious poems, and salsa-infused death metal. Urban art, Puerto Rican Culture in the United States Puerto Ricans in New York City, April 1, 1953 http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00085470/00001 Come Home: Selections from the Art Collection of Hector G. Puig http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00030742/00001 The document Puerto Ricans in New York City from 1953 gives a population estimate of individuals of Puerto Rican descent living in New York City. It also gives a brief statement about the living conditions of Puerto Ricans during this time. Puerto Rican immigration to New York has been very strong since 1898, when the island became of US territory. Hector G. Puig is a Puerto Rican art collector living in Gainesville. He has moreover collected a multitude of Latin American artworks, including a vast collection of Puerto Rican Santos.

Label Writing Introduction Label/ Curator Statement: Explain the exhibit’s purpose. What is the topic and theme? What is the tone? (50-200 words) ID Label: Provides the bibliographic information about the item (Artist/Author, Title of the item, Year, Call number is applicable, Source Institution) Content Label: Information about the item + your interpretation of it (20- 100 words) Group Label: Used if you want to discuss more than one item together (20- 150 words) Closing statement: Conclusion of the exhibit. What should the viewer take away? (50-100 words) Link: George A. Smathers Libraries Style Guide http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/docs/Smathers_styleguide_2015.pdf

Label Examples ID LABEL GROUP LABEL CONTENT LABEL Tony Mendoza (Cuban-American, 1941- ) Cuba-Going Back 1999 University of Texas Press F 1765.3 .M46 1999 Latin American and Caribbean Collection, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida GROUP LABEL CONTENT LABEL Shadowshaper is a young adult novel that follows the adventures of Sierra Santigo, an Afro-Boricua mural artist that discovers that she has the power of shadowshaping or the ability to infuse art with ancestral spirits. The book gives readers a glimpse into art and Nuyorican culture, given that the plot takes place in Brooklyn, New York. Paired with this novel is an art catalog titled Come Home: Selections from the Art Collection of Hector G. Puig that features a multitude of Latin American artworks, including a vast collection of Puerto Rican Santos. Tony Mendoza, a well-known Cuban-American photographer, decided after thirty-seven years of exile to visit his home country of Cuba in 1996. This book documents that trip in a journal like manner, with the photographer’s own photos and writing. Memory and nostalgia collide with Cuba’s present situation, as Mendoza revisits the places of his childhood and records the encounters he has with the locals.

Selecting an Online Tool/ Software for your Exhibit Explore your options and find a tool that would work well with your specific project. Examples of Online Tools (frequently used at UF): Adobe Muse : http://muse.adobe.com/ Omeka: http://www.omeka.net/ Knight Lab (Timeline JS): https://timeline.knightlab.com/ After selecting the software, read about it, take tutorials, and begin constructing your exhibit.

Online Tools and Examples Timeline JS: http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/cubanamericandream/ Omeka: http://challengingunderrepresentation.omeka.net/exhibits/show/chall enging-under-representati Adobe Muse: http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/bobcampbell/

Published Online Exhibit Examples http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/online.html http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/web/ Explore these sites and look at exhibit examples for inspiration.

Other Useful Resources http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/resources.html http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/docs/Smathers_styleguide_2015.pdf http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/5-free-and-open-source-tools-for-creating- digital-exhibitions/ http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00022788/00001 http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00025675/00001