Tools, Tools and Tools (Unit 14)

For part of my class assignment, I had to create a timeline using a program or web program.

I decided to use TimeGlider because it was free. I looked at several other options, and some were pay and some incorporated the timeline into PowerPoint. I had to post at least ten events, and from what I could gather from the PowerPoint templates, I decided the templates did not fit the requirements easily. I looked at the programs, and because of my situation I could not download a program to run on the computer I am using. TimeGlider seemed to fit my requirements.

However, the interface was initally very confusing, and without help I was at a loss at how to work with the interface to get what I wanted. It still really does not have the flexibility and look that I wanted. I am posting it, and I am linking it to my UnintentionalTourist website under the Lost History section because many of the actual sites I have and will have in the future no longer exist.

User Participation Projects - Additional Thoughts (Unit 13)

Another User Participation Project is The Clio, which I think is one that should be included in the list.

According to the home webpage, "The Clio is your guide to the history and culture around you."  Entries can be added to the site by becoming a registered user, but The Clio can be used without becoming a user. It also can be used for classes, and the instructions are on the becoming a registered user, and then following the directions to find the class. Note: A student in a class does not have to become a user.

The project covers the United States; however, local areas can be searched by zip code or by name, so this particular project can focus on Virginia or local history.

See my next entry, Tools, Tools and Tools, What Exactly Are Tools? (Unit 14), for further information.

User Participation Projects (Unit 13)

It is a bit ironic that the User Participation Projects at the Smithsonian used to use paid employees to do the transcription of the actual artifacts rather than scanned images. I worked for the Smithsonian many years ago working in the National Herbarium transcribing the label contents into a database. This was when scanning technology was either non-existing or in its infancy.

One project I was involved in was transcribing the plant family that included the agave and the District of Columbia flora, and these projects were pretty straight forward. The major project I was involved in was the Caesalpinioideae, which was reorganized by a botanist into new and/or different genera.

Not only did I have to transcribe, I also had to research each specimen for genera and species to find out where it belonged in the new scheme. To do this, I had to reference several different volumes that listed the old and new genera and species. I don't remember how many specimens I did, but I had to go through at least twenty cases (think large lockers) to complete the project.

I looked over the Smithsonian Digital Volunteers: Transcription Center, and I looked through the various projects. I found many of the ones I was initially interested in were complete. I also looked at the projects available through Family Search, and I found transcription of the US, Michigan - Archives of Michigan, Naturalization Records, 1812–1985 was needed.

I am particularly interested in working on the Naturalization Records because I am working on my family genealogy, so I choose to do these records because I would love to find my great grandparents naturalization records.

Data Visualization (Unit 12)

For this unit, I decided to look at graphics and animated graphics on different historic related websites along with finding historical sites. I will need some public domain maps, images, or illustrations to develop my Unintentional Tourist (UT) website, especially the Lost History section. In addition, the historical sites furnish additional data and trivia to make my UT website interesting.

The Smithsonian Magazine has a number of static and animated maps in this article:
These Maps Reveal How Slavery Expanded Across the United States
The animations added to the understanding of how slavery and people in general moved across the United States; however, the animated graphics should be slower, so someone watching the images could see the detail.

The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Historical Map Websites on the University of Texas Libraries website is a collection of maps and images from all over the world, Library of Congress, and many of the states.

The Library of Congress Digital Collections is a comprehensive site that includes maps, images, and illustrations relating to the history of the United States.

Arlington Fire Journal is an excellent blog concerning the history of the Arlington Fire Department, and it is written by a journalist who considers this blog to be a hobby. However, the journalist's skills show throughout the blog, giving it a professional feeling.

Steam Locomotive Lists a database of the surviving steam engines by location, wheel types, steam types, builders and specs, virtual tours available, and countries beyond the United States.

To be continued....

Digital Online Archives (Unit 11)

I posted several contributions to  Northern Virginia Digital History Archive, and some of them are from locations in Northern Virginia and others from Washington, DC. I found it quite easy, and the contribute feature worked quite well and quickly. However, I found one of my images was rejected, and I believe the contribute feature has a maximum size of 2K. A note indicating limitations on file size could be placed somewhere near the Upload File box to indicate to contributors that there is a file size limitation. I was able to rescale my images, so they were under 2K in size. I love taking pictures of the historical sites, monuments, memorials, and etc, especially since I have had a camera in my phone. Some of them turn out great, but others. . .

George Washington's Mount Vernon has a listing of its and other digital databases at Electronic Resources & Research Databases. Some of the databases are open access but others are by subscription. I did a quick search, and I found references to the electric trolley that I will may add to my history of the trolley. I love find snippets of information that lead me to additional information in my searches. Another source of information I enjoy is the Alexandria Archaeology Bibliography. It does not call itself a database but instead a bibliography; nevertheless, it is a database of the archaeological studies done in Alexandria city. Historic Alexandria's web pages are just full of excellent resources for people who are interested in history, especially Alexandria's local history.

What Is Real and Not Real in the Digital and Real Worlds (Unit 10)

The loss of the physical and movement to the digital is not always the best; however, the digital world has made information much more available and readable. 

Books are something in my humble opinion do not digitize well, especially textbooks. There is something inherently normal in holding a real book and being able to easily go to the spot where I have stopped earlier. Even with the ability to hold hundreds of books, an e-reader does not give the same feel and experience. As much as "the Big River" has touted its e-reader, many initially took it up and dispensed with their books, and then many of those same people went back to real books. The only exception many of those people made for using the e-reader is for traveling. Real books are for the most part are a real part of many people's lives rather than the digital e-reader.

Nonetheless, the digital has made historical materials readily available to anyone who wants to peruse them as long as they have a library card or a subscription to the many digital databases. 

For me, being able to access the Historical Washington Post when I was researching the women's suffrage movement was an incredible experience. Attempting to read the actual newspapers of the time (1900-1920) would be an incredible challenge. Granted, I could pick up on what was going on and experience the world of that time, but to be able to follow an individual or group would have been time consuming to go through each paper. The digital form of the newspaper available in searchable form let me follow an individual (Alice Paul) when her activities appeared in the paper. In addition, I have done the same for other historical events and happenstances. 

Each time I have researched a person, event, or place, I was left with a feeling that others of the time period possibly felt. . . Of experiencing the event or situation as it unfolded. . . 

Reading the articles let me travel through time without having others else digest and decide what I was to see or experience as in a book or film or other media. Was my experience real or not real when I did this? My point of view was not influenced by third parties, so I could decide what to read, believe, and choose to understand. Yes, to me the digital made it real, and a much more interesting experience. 

The Information Age (Unit 9)

My final project is my continued research on the Mount Vernon Electric Railway (or Trolley) that I started in another class last semester. I am thinking about expanding the paper eventually to include how people traveled to Mount Vernon from George Washington's time to the opening of the George Washington Memorial Highway. In my research, I have come across a lot of material that covers the time before the trolley and after.

In addition, to the paper version of my project, I need to build a timeline to help me get my thoughts in order, and building a time-line website would help me with this. I am thinking of using a WordPress site to do this since I have used it before for other projects. I rather use my own domain and website, but this is not in my current budget. I also need to locate additional pictures beyond what I have already. Some of them have come from Merriken's "Old Dominion trolley too: A history of the Mount Vernon Line," but there has to be other pictures available.

I have used the The Historical Washington Post from 1877 through 2000 through Proquest via the Fairfax County Public Library to gather quite a bit of information on the trolley, but the photos that rarely appear are less than adequate quality. I am planning to go to the Alexandria city's Local History/Special Collections public library on Queen Street to search for additional photos along with visiting the library at Mount Vernon.

Also, I am going to look at my search terms to see if I am finding the information I need. I noticed that the Historic Washington Post gave me different and sometimes better results if I tweeked the words. Mount Vernon returned fewer results than Mt. Vernon. I expect this has to be the way the database was designed. Using abbreviations may be key to finding better information in the older records.