Some interesting things we have found online.
Supporting archival biodiversity – welcome to the world of private archives
‘Institutional archives form a vital component of an organisation’s corporate memory – and identity. Good record-keeping supports good governance, and knowing our past helps us to avoid making the same mistakes or duplicating the same effort at a time when resources are scarce for us all. In the case of voluntary sector archives, there is also a particular value in supporting what I call “inter-generational accountability”: looking back to understand, and take responsibility for, the actions of predecessors. For example, the role of voluntary societies in supporting child emigration to the Commonwealth has been addressed in recent years.
- Read the full interview with Philip Gale, Senior Adviser – Private Archives (Private and Institutional Owners) at The National Archives blog.
Crowdsourcing at IMLS WebWise 2012
I’d like to talk about some of the lessons that have come out of my collaborations with small crowdsourcing projects. We hear a lot about these large projects like GalaxyZoo, like Transcribe Bentham. What can small institutions and small projects do, and do the rules that seem to apply to large projects also apply to them?
- A thought provoking piece by Ben W. Brumfield at Collaborative Manuscript Transcription.
Participatory Archives:Moving Beyond Description (via @An_Old_Hand)
However, as Trevor Owens pointed out in a recent blog post, the tangible products gained from crowdsourcing transcription or tagging should not be considered the ultimate end goal. The true goal of participatory archives projects should instead be to improve user engagement with, and understanding of, the institution and its collections.the tangible products gained from crowdsourcing transcription or tagging should not be considered the ultimate end goal. The true goal of participatory archives projects should instead be to improve user engagement with, and understanding of, the institution and its collections.”
- View the full post from Emily Reynolds
GOVHACK2012 – An eye opening experience for the Archives
GovHack 2012 was probably the best way for the National Archives of Australia to kick off our new Labs Blog. GovHack 2012 embodies what the new Archives’ labs environment will be all about, finding creative solutions to encourage greater use and access of Government data.
We think @dfflanders said it best, ‘the coolest thing to do with your data will be thought of by someone else’ and there were definitely some cool solutions created.
- Learn more at the new labs environment blog from NAA
Bach cantata manuscript sells for £337,250 at Christie’s in London
A manuscript of one of Bach’s late cantatas has sold for a season-record price of £337,250 at Christie’s in London.
The manuscript, which sold to a private collector in the US, is the Taille (tenor oboe) part for Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte, BWV 174, and is the first example of Bach’s musical hand to appear on the open market for 16 years.
- Find out all the details at Grammophone.
Preservation at the National Archives
In preparation for the bicentennial of the War of 1812, the official parchment act of war between the United States and Great Britain, signed June 18, 1812, underwent conservation treatment
- See the before and after pics of this document.
Family History through the Alphabet D is not for history or toes
21st Century Genealogists know that digitisation is not about caring for your digits.
Digitisation projects by various non-profit, government and commercial organisations have given family historians access to a plethora of records that were previously very difficult to access or obtain. We can now access rich and diverse materials from a range of institutions across the globe without leaving the confines of our homes.
- Read more about digitisation from @geniaus
Good Recordkeeping Saves the Day
Accurate books and records of business transactions are among the most indispensable keys to success for my design business. Keeping on top of the details helps me determine the amount of tax I must pay to the myriad of taxing and licensing authorities – and complete records always result in a lower tax bill. Plus, they help me plan for large business expenses and slow times, and project how much income is expected to (hopefully) be profitable.
- Learn more about this cautionary tale for small business at Fullbleed.
It’s all digital across ‘the ditch’
DigitalNZ has a nifty new collecting function. You can now group your favourite things from over 25 million items, and more than120 content partners, together into one useful place…share your own selections of historically significant New Zealand content with anyone.
17 ways we made our exhibition patricipatory
After a year of tinkering, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History is now showing an exhibition, All You Need is Love, that embodies our new direction as an institution. It is multi-disciplinary, incorporates diverse voices from our community, and provides interactive and participatory opportunities for visitor involvement…This post focuses on one aspect of the exhibition: its participatory and interactive elements. We experimented with many different forms of visitor participation throughout the building, trying to balance social and individual, text-based and artistic, cerebral and silly. With one exception, no single activity cost more than $30 to produce/maintain. We developed and prototyped everything in-house with staff and interns.