web 2.0 and archives
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given at the Society of Archivist's Scottish Group meeting in Hawick on 25 September 2009.TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Web 2.0 for Archives
What is Web 2.0?
Its not:
• just a buzzword
• a revolution
• all about technology
• just for teenagers
It’s a state of mind• Be open
• Encourage participation
• Provide good user experience
Benefits of participating
Web 2.0 approach and tools can give an archive:• Increased awareness of collections
• Varied access points
• Diversification of users
• Improved relationships & links in the sector
• Additional information about collections
• New dynamic ways to engage
The era of control is over:
You can either stay in the bunker, or you can jump out there and try to participate, to not participate is
criminal.- Ed Dilworth, Wired Magazine
Archives have extraordinary content and the ability to touch real people
= a duty to engage and share
Why participate?
Vs
Web 2.0 Technologies
Flickr Use to:• Share digital images• Collect images• Collect comments• Link to your official site
Example:ArchivesOnFlickr
WikisUse to:• Capture user knowledge• Add value• Give users a forum• Revise catalogues safely!
Example:Your Archives
Web 2.0 Technologies
Podcasts Use to:
• Share recordings with wider audience
• Record talks, instructions for using archive and audio transcriptions of documents
Example:
TNA - Podcast Series
VideosUse to:
• Share films and digital media
• Connect with different user base
• Allow reuse of material
• Provide information and instructions
Example:
National Library of Scotland - NLofScotland
Blogs
Are websites with frequently updated posts, links to other sites and reader comments
Use to:• Communicate
• Host online exhibits
• Collection of the month or Whimsy (Mustaches of the 19th Century)
• Highlight treasures
• Transcripts of diaries or letters (George Orwell / Robert Burns)
• Subject based (Business Archives Scotland)
• Share news about your repository (British Cartoon Archive)
• Document the processing of a collection (John Murray Archive)
Twitter (microblogging)
Use to:• Similar to blogs but shorter posts
• Share news
• Tweet letters, diaries, postcards
• Answer user queries
Examples:• Edwardian postcard project at Lancaster University tweets excerpts from postcards in their collection..
• West Yorkshire Archive Services are using twitter as a news service
Blogs: a tale of 2 blogs
Glasgow University Archive Services• Part of larger library services blog
• Focus on publicising events, websites, launches and projects
• Encourage staff to post about personal experiences or research interests
• Stats since May: 4950 views, 86 in total (24 from archives)
Ballast Blog• Organisational blog about our collections and working life
• Focus on images
• Only archivist posting at present
• Stats since May: 641 views, 45 posts
How to find your way?
Think • What do you want your blog to do?
Make time• Commit to regular blog posts
• Take time to learn what other organisations are doing
Create an organisational identity• This allows multiple members of staff to work on it and is more ”official”
Make the internet work for you• Create a start page
• Use bookmarks
Let the Internet do the work
• Different accounts available (igoogle, netvibes, bloglines)
• Allow you to collate news feeds, blogs, twitter comments, bookmarks, flickr, articles
• Pushes content to you in one place for comment or action
• Saves time
• Make it a part of your daily routine
Create a “start page”
Questions
Get in touch [email protected]
01505 328488
More examples availablehttp://www.webwatchingforarchivists.blogspot.com