Data about data — it’s so meta. Metadata are terms used to describe an archival asset — names, dates, location, condition or any relevant information about the item. Traditionally, historians use metadata to index and organize their collections. But in digital preservation, with a proper strategy in place, metadata becomes a magical tool that connects every element of your digital collections and creates an interactive experience.
Tag: digital preservation
Hidden History: Stacia Hookom Gollihar
One of the most fulfilling parts of our jobs at HistoryIT is sparking the curiosity in someone to go explore a piece of history previously unfamiliar to them. The accessibility and searchability of the digital museums we build for our clients provide entry points for users to learn about any number of items, ranging from traditional events to biographies to the history of snowboarding. It only takes one little nugget of information to start someone off on their own personal journey of historical research.
Making Muhammad Ali’s Legacy Accessible
“Bigger than boxing. Larger than life.”
Those are the words announcing the September 19th premiere of the new Ken Burns documentary on PBS about Muhammad Ali. As the PBS website notes, “Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.” Continue reading “Making Muhammad Ali’s Legacy Accessible “
The Real Cost of Open-Source Collections Management
If you were to take some time to walk around and ask people if they believed anything is free, the overwhelming majority would answer no. Most of us understand that there really is nothing free in life. Everything comes at a cost, yet there is one idea that persists — open-source software is free.
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Meet a History Saver: Daniel Orr
As HistoryIT celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2021, we want to take the time to share how amazing our team of history savers is. In this blog series, you’ll get to know each member of our organization who makes HistoryIT’s history-saving work possible. We’d like to introduce you to Daniel Orr, our Digital Imaging Manager.
Hidden History: Cleora Clark Wheeler
Today, roughly 1.1 million businesses in the United States are owned by women — making up just 19.9% of companies in the country. HistoryIT is proud to be one of them. We are keenly aware that many female entrepreneurs throughout history have paved the way by pushing boundaries and defying their era’s gender roles. Most of us have heard of and been inspired by the stories of Madam C.J. Walker, Kate Gleason and the like, but today we’d like to introduce you to the hidden history of Cleora Clark Wheeler, an alumnae of our partner Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Alpha Phi’s Digital Museum Receives Industry Award
Every year the Fraternity Communications Association (FCA) presents awards to fraternities and sororities for excellence in communication ranging from best alumni/alumnae engagement to social media engagement, annual report and so on. We are pleased to share that this year, Alpha Phi sorority received an award for their digital museum — the result of their partnership with HistoryIT.
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Past Masters: Preserving LGBTQ+ History
Past Masters is HistoryIT’s new vlog series created to offer a more visual and personal account of our history saving journeys. From the beginning, we wanted HistoryIT to be an organization that helped bridge the gap between past and present, by telling not just facts, but stories. Through our digital museums, we’ve been able to tap into the emotions of history, uncovering hidden moments that make for compelling narratives. Join us throughout the year for our behind-the-scenes look into historic preservation.
Meet a History Saver: Dana Barron
As HistoryIT celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2021, we want to take the time to share how amazing our team of history savers is. In this blog series, you’ll get to know each member of our organization who makes HistoryIT’s history-saving work possible. Meet Dana Barron — Project Director, musicologist and client support specialist.
Storytelling with Composites
Composites are a defining feature of Greek life. Each year young men and women have their photos taken to be collectively displayed in chapter houses, to have prints made for their parents or to save as a personal keepsake. For members of fraternal communities, composites are an annual tradition, a fond memory and a spark for nostalgia among alumni. But they’re also incredibly helpful research tools that visually communicate the history of these organizations through a unique lens.
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