Making heritage more engaging Using Web 2.0 to connect heritage and people Janet E. Davis

Brief background: my work Includes: Web Manager, Parks & Gardens Data Services, 2006 – 2009 Freelance work with NEMLAC including –Promoting NE museums, libraries and archives online resources –Sharing digital skills Newcastle Collection pilot project – Local Studies, Newcastle Libraries, 2004 Leader of Tyneside Life & Times project for Newcastle Libraries, one of the SoPNE (Sense of Place North East project consortium, including Tyne & Wear Museums, Gateshead Libraries and Northumberland Archives) 2002 – 2004 English Heritage More info at:

Project aims Encouraging volunteers to research & record Collating information from other sources Creating database web site educational resources

Specific project aims 6,000 records of sites in England & Wales 1,000 records of sites in Scotland & Northern Ireland References records Archives sources Associated Person records Associated Organisation records Digital images & digital image records 20 themed educational resources

Who involved? Parks & Gardens Data Services –not-for-profit company set up by: IT contractor hosting service Supported by and Volunteers

Using free web resources developing content 1

Using free web resources developing content 2

Who involved? Stakeholders Advisory Panel Experts include representatives from: English Heritage RCAMHW Hampshire County Council Consultative Group Volunteers organisations - NADFAS, County Gardens Trusts, NCCPG Universities Culture 24

Who is it for? ExpertsNon-experts Site owners/managersArchaeologistsHistorians Heritage professionalsPlanning professionalsDesign professionals HE & FE studentsLife-long LearnersUK schoolchildren General publicVolunteersTourists

Accessibility issues - physical and technological Front end of web site Needed to allow for: people with disabilities, especially with visual impairments, including colour blindness; slow dial-up internet access older hardware and software

Database interface

Intellectual accessibility - navigation Providing methods to access the database records that do not require: prior knowledge of historic parks & gardens; knowledge of UK geography or local authority areas; good spelling or high level of literacy. Building a semantic bridge using navigation

Find records

Map-based Search

Intellectual accessibility - images Building a semantic bridge using description People ‘read’ pictures according to what they know. Need to describe what is where. What is obvious to one expert will not be obvious to another from a different discipline. Accessibility for visually-impaired.

Intellectual accessibility - writing style Building a semantic bridge using writing style Using plain English or providing explanations of specialist terms Abbreviations and acronyms written in full. ‘Friendly’ but objective style. Concise, short sentences.

Controlled vocabulary Example of early controlled vocabulary list for terms to describe the context or principal building for historic parks and gardens.

The Thesaurus within the database

Data entry form - Context

Illustrated Glossary

Illustrated Glossary - Front End

Front end content editor Next stage - letting volunteers add their own articles from the front end.

Twitter – janetedavis List Museums

Twitter – janetedavis List For_tourists_in_UK

historypin

The #artsfunding Daily

Conclusion Using Web 2.0 enables: Audience feedback Audience participation Building resources people use Sustainable interest and Encourages proactive participation in heritage/culture.

References and resources Others Pinterest - virtual themed pinboards, adding images from websites so that you can share them with others: historypin - Upload digitised historical photographs and connect them to a location on a map, tell your story – or explore other people’s Online collaboration and project tools example: HuddleHuddle Others Pinterest - virtual themed pinboards, adding images from websites so that you can share them with others: historypin - Upload digitised historical photographs and connect them to a location on a map, tell your story – or explore other people’s Online collaboration and project tools example: HuddleHuddle Making heritage more engagingJanet E Davis 2011 Parks & Gardens UK - example of how Web 2.0 technologies can enable wider participation. Parks & Gardens UK - example of how Web 2.0 technologies can enable wider participation. Some of my Twitter lists (remember that these can be pulled into blogs or websites): Museums and galleries: History people and organisations: Cultural heritage: Some of my Twitter lists (remember that these can be pulled into blogs or websites): Museums and galleries: History people and organisations: Cultural heritage: Examples of curating or news gathering online resources that you can customise: Paper.li - uses Twitter or Facebook feeds – explore what is already set up - I set up several early on relevant to culture #artsfunding Daily is an example of Paper.li Twitter Times Examples of curating or news gathering online resources that you can customise: Paper.li - uses Twitter or Facebook feeds – explore what is already set up - I set up several early on relevant to culture #artsfunding Daily is an example of Paper.li Twitter Times